[tri-med] Heart Murmur

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <verheyen
> Why does Alex need to take antibiotics prior to dental work?

Antibiotics before dental work is because there is a risk of developing 
endocarditis. The dentist will often nick the gums or cause some sort of 
injury to the gums whilst doing dental work. The mouth also has a LOT of 
bugs and these can get directly into the blood stream when that nick is 
made. If that happens its possible for the bugs to travel to the valves of 
the heart and cause an infection (endocarditis) if the valves don't function 
efficiently.

So the bottom line is - yes anyone with pulmonary stenosis (common in 
trisomy conditions) should probably take antibiotics before dental work (and 
usually most types of surgery). Some cardiologists feel that the risk is too 
small to worry about though.

Alex's cardiologist doesnt recommend antibiotics for him but often the 
surgeon will give him some during surgery just to be safe.

Pulmonary stenosis is when the valve between the right ventricle and the 
pulmonary artery doesn't work properly. And yes this can be benign, and it 
can get worse. Benign simply means that - yes the problem is there but it 
causes no functional problems.

Auusie Alex has a benign heart murmur but his is from a PFO - Patent foramen 
ovale. Now that he is older its technically a PDA. Its benign yes, it could 
get worse but they don't expect it to. But he is also at risk of having a 
heart attack or stroke because of it when he is older because of it. Risks 
are small though and the risk of surgery is greater so we leave it.

"We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an 
imperfect person perfectly"
Sam Keen

Keep Looking For Rainbows!!
   _--_|\
 /Karen \
 \ _.--._ /
          v Karen, Mum to Alex (10 years, T-18 Mosaic)
http://members.optushome.com.au/karens
 

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
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