|
Early diagnosis of heart defects is the key to providing the best treatment.
Early diagnosis of heart defects is the key to providing the best treatment
Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defect, occurring in about one percent of the population. Some problems manifest themselves at birth, while others may not be diagnosed for years. When parents learn their infants or children have suspected heart problems, they benefit from the reassurance of a rapid and accurate diagnosis. Northeast Ohio parents have access to specialists at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital with the highest level of training and expertise in identifying and treating pediatric heart problems. Because echocardiography is the primary tool for the diagnosis of congenital heart defects, parents now have the added comfort of knowing that Rainbow’s Echocardiography Laboratory has earned the prestigious accreditation from the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories. This voluntary accreditation recognizes Rainbow’s commitment to leading edge patient care and its provision of the highest quality of diagnostic testing.
Approximately 30,000 babies are born in the U.S. each year with structural problems of the heart that develop before birth, such as problems with the heart valves, abnormal passages in the heart, or issues with the development or placement of blood vessels near the heart. Cardiac problems can impact a child’s growth and development, or even be life threatening. Early diagnosis is key to providing the best treatment. Transthoracic echocardiography is a painless, non-invasive ultrasound procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to create a moving, two or three-dimensional view of the heart and the blood vessels surrounding the heart.
“The distinctive cardiovascular problems of prenatal life and childhood are remarkably different from the heart disease seen in adults as part of the aging process,” notes Kenneth Zahka, MD, a pediatric cardiologist and Medical Director of Rainbow’s Pediatric Echocardiography Laboratory. “It takes a special level of expertise to recognize, evaluate, and treat these defects and conditions—the kind of expertise that can only be found in a hospital like Rainbow, which is dedicated to the care of children with the most complex health problems.” Having access to an echocardiography lab that specializes in pediatric patients is essential to quickly and accurately identifying and treating a child’s heart problem.
Accreditation is a mark of an echocardiography laboratory’s ability to provide the best quality of care, with physicians with a high level of expertise in pediatric echocardiography. Rainbow’s approach to diagnosing and treating pediatric cardiac abnormalities puts a special focus on the family and making the testing process as easy and stress-free as possible. Sonographers have extensive experience in working with pediatric patients, from the smallest infants through adolescents, and use an array of techniques—from allowing children to watch a favorite video during the test to encouraging parents to be present during procedures—that create a comfortable environment for young patients. Families benefit from having direct communication with a pediatric cardiologist, who can clearly exclude disease in children with normal test results or provide immediate specialty care and counseling for children with abnormal exam results.
“I applaud Rainbow’s Heart Institute and the Pediatric Echocardiography Laboratory on this accomplishment,” says Michael Farrell, President of Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. “This accreditation is an affirmation of the outstanding quality and experience of the sonographers and physicians of the echocardiography laboratory team and reflects our commitment to providing exemplary, family-centered care at every level.”
###
Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital is a 226-bed acute care facility that has earned national and international acclaim for the sophisticated services available and excellent quality of care rendered to children and their families. The Pediatric Echocardiography Laboratory is part of Rainbow’s Heart Institute, which incorporates the efforts and expertise of Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Critical Care, Neonatology, and Pediatric Anesthesiology to deliver comprehensive, interdisciplinary care to patients of all ages in a family-centered environment.
