Biomaterial Database

Postoperative low cardiac output in infancy. 1983

D L Johnson

PLCO can be a devastating and fatal complication after open-heart surgery in infants. Knowledge of the risk factors for the development of PLCO can assist the critical care nurse in anticipating, recognizing, and participating in the treatment of infants who develop this syndrome. An understanding of the causes of PLCO and their relationship to heart rate, preload, afterload, and contractility can help the nurse to predict and interpret its development in her patient. This knowledge can also assist the nurse in differentiating the problem based on her clinical assessments and hemodynamic data. Last, a comprehension of the causes and clinical picture of PLCO will increase the nurse's understanding of the rationale and timing of interventions for PLCO and will equip her to evaluate the effectiveness of those interventions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D009730	Nursing Assessment	Evaluation of the nature and extent of nursing problems presented by a patient for the purpose of patient care planning.	Nursing Protocols,Assessment, Nursing,Protocols, Nursing,Assessments, Nursing,Nursing Assessments,Nursing Protocol,Protocol, Nursing
D011183	Postoperative Complications	Pathologic processes that affect patients after a surgical procedure. They may or may not be related to the disease for which the surgery was done, and they may or may not be direct results of the surgery.	Complication, Postoperative,Complications, Postoperative,Postoperative Complication
D002303	Cardiac Output, Low	A state of subnormal or depressed cardiac output at rest or during stress. It is a characteristic of CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, including congenital, valvular, rheumatic, hypertensive, coronary, and cardiomyopathic. The serious form of low cardiac output is characterized by marked reduction in STROKE VOLUME, and systemic vasoconstriction resulting in cold, pale, and sometimes cyanotic extremities.	Low Cardiac Output,Low Cardiac Output Syndrome,Output, Low Cardiac
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003422	Critical Care	Health care provided to a critically ill patient during a medical emergency or crisis.	Intensive Care,Intensive Care, Surgical,Surgical Intensive Care,Care, Critical,Care, Intensive,Care, Surgical Intensive
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012306	Risk	The probability that an event will occur. It encompasses a variety of measures of the probability of a generally unfavorable outcome.	Relative Risk,Relative Risks,Risk, Relative,Risks,Risks, Relative