Prevalence of congenital heart disease in relation to height above sea level in a region of Colombia.

Abstract

Introduction: Congenital heart diseases are the most common congenital disorders in the world population, they generally manifest after birth. Altitudes between 2,500-3,500 meters above sea level have been linked to the high incidence of congenital heart diseases such as patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septum defects, and ventricular septum defects.

Objetives: To characterize clinically and sociodemographically the patients diagnosed with congenital heart disease from low, moderate and high altitudes in a regional hospital in Colombia.

Methodology: Observational, descriptive retrospective study. All patients under 18 years of age with a diagnosis of congenital heart disease, treated at the San Rafael de Tunja University Hospital between 2015 and 2021, were included.

Results: 51.9% of the patients were male, 16.3% had a history of prematurity and 9.1% had a diagnosis of Down syndrome. The most frequent heart diseases were: persistent ductus arteriosus 35.1%, followed by ventricular communication representing 21.6% and intra-atrial communication with 19.7%).

Conclusions: They must eestablish strategies such as screening and timely diagnosis of congenital heart disease in at-risk populations in order to improve the life prognosis of patients and the outcome of the disease.