This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Hugh D. Allen, MD

Am J Dis Child. 1985;139(10):976.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Pediatricians and cardiologists are faced with an emerging population of older children and young adults who have congenital or acquired heart disease. Improved diagnostic techniques and pathophysiological understanding allow for better diagnosis and treatment, especially for those with more severe cardiac disorders. A larger group of young people has asymptomatic congenital heart disease that does not require intervention, but stigmatizes them as "different." Inevitable fatality of certain complex conditions in the past is now surgically avoidable. Pharmacologic advances include afterload reduction for severe congestive failure and various drugs (with or without pacemakers) that have improved the outcome for children who otherwise would not have survived. Unique problems for this new population include insurability, vocational choice, acceptable level of physical activity, sexual practices including contraception and childbearing, peer pressures, cardiac-related infections, coping with the possibility of death, and receipt of appropriate health and . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?