Comparison of pulse oximeter and handheld echocardiography for screening congenital heart diseases in newborn

Objective: This thesis aims to investigate the accuracy of handheld echocardiography for the detection of congenital heart diseases in newborn babies who appear healthy and who have no prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomaly and/or chromosomal abnormality. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective review of 1019 newborns who were consecutively delivered from term singleton pregnancies. Neonates born with congenital anomalies and/or chromosomal anomalies and newborns who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit after delivery were excluded from the study. All neonates were respectively examined with pulse oximetry, handheld echocardiography, and transthoracic echocardiography. Results: Congenital heart defects were detected in 26.7% of the newborns (n=272). Atrial septal defect (ASD), ASD accompanied by ventricular septal defect (VSD), and VSD affecting 72.4%, 21.7% and 3% of newborns, respectively, were the most frequently diagnosed cardiac anomalies. The incidence of congenital heart disease was found to be significantly higher in boys than in girls (p=0.015). Arterial O2 saturation values measured in the right hand and right foot were significantly lower in newborns with congenital heart disease (p=0.001 for both). Handheld echocardiography had a detection rate of 75.6% for ASD, 86.4% for synchronous ASD and VSD, and 75% for VSD. A significant correlation was found between hand-held echocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography findings (r=0.561, p=0.001). Conclusion: Handheld echocardiography is a complementary tool in the screening of congenital heart diseases for low-risk newborns. This device can be used to enhance physical examination, increase the detection rate of congenital heart diseases, and prevent unnecessary referrals. Key words: Congenital heart diseases, Diagnosis, Echocardiography