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 2500 and 3500 m 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. Objectives: The objectives of this study were 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: This study was observational and 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 in the study. Results: About 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 establish strategies such as screening and timely diagnosis of congenital heart disease in at-risk populations to improve the life prognosis of patients and the outcome of the disease.