Foramen Ovale Case Study

Cardiac defects are rare occurrences, but the management and nursing care of patients that are presented with these complications are incredibly important. The nurse has the opportunity to provide direct care for both the patient, and their parents. Nurses are responsible for providing support for parents by, providing them with further information of their child’s condition, answering questions as well as being available for emotional support. An atrial septal defect is described by the delayed closing of the foramen ovale. Under normal conditions the foramen ovale closes shortly after a child is born. The closing of the foramen ovale prevents the shunting of blood from the left atrium to the right atrium, allowing for each to pump effetely post utero. With this complication the nurse is responsible for monitoring for signs of fluid overload and cardiac failure.

The monitoring of weight is one of the most accurate forms for a nurses to monitor for fluid retention. Along with daily weights, the nurse will also be assessing the lungs sounds of a patient with ASD to monitor for fluid overload. The problem with fluid overload is that it stress the heart, causing it to grow in size, which is the way the body compensates for the complication. Fluid overload can affect many more areas of the body, such as the liver, kidneys and most importantly the lungs. These are some of the reasons it is important for the nurse to assess for murmur in the heart, adventitious lung sounds, as well as respiratory