User:Mr. Ibrahem/Ventricular septal defect

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a birth defect of the heart in which there is a hole in the wall between the ventricles, the lower two chambers of the heart. Symptoms in babies may vary from none to shortness of breath, poor feeding, and excessive sweating. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias, endocarditis, or heart failure.

The cause is usually unknown. Risk factors include certain infections during pregnancy such as influenza and rubella, use of alcohol or cocaine during pregnancy, and the genetic condition Holt-Oram syndrome. While they generally occur as an isolated defect, they may also occur in associate with other birth defects of the heart such as Tetralogy of Fallot and transposition of the great arteries. The diagnosis may be suspected based on a heart murmur and confirmed by ultrasound of the heart.

Up to 90% of VSDs spontaneously close in the first year of life. It the VSD is larger or results in symptoms surgery may be carried out. Outcomes with surgery are generally good. VSDs affects about 3 per 1,000 newborns. It represents about 37% of birth defects of the heart in children. The condition was first described in 1847 by Dalrymple.