Heart Catheterization In Children

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• A heart catheterization or "heart cath" is a test to look inside your child's heart. During the test, a catheter (long, thin, bendable tube) is put into a large blood vessel. It is usually put in your child's groin. The groin is the area between the abdomen (belly) and the top of each leg. If caregivers cannot use the groin area, they may put the catheter in your child's neck or arm. Using a TV screen and x-rays, caregivers gently thread (push) the catheter into your child's heart. Caregivers move the catheter into different areas of the heart and blood vessels to see how they look inside.
  
  
• A heart cath may be put into the right or left side of the heart. With a heart cath, caregivers can check the pressure in the chambers (rooms) inside the heart. They can inject (give shots of) dye to look at how well blood flows through the chambers and blood vessels. This is called an angiogram (AN-g-o-gram). They can take blood samples and check how much oxygen is in different parts of the heart. Caregivers also look at the heart valves (doors) between each chamber. If certain heart problems are found during the heart cath, caregivers may fix them.
  
  
• Caregivers may do a heart cath to learn if your child has a heart defect. A heart defect is a heart problem that your child may have been born with. It may also be called a congenital (con-JEN-ih-tull) heart defect. Your child may be able to go home after the heart cath or may have to stay in the hospital.

AFTER YOU LEAVE:

Medicines:

• Keep a written list of the medicines your child takes and when and why he takes them. Bring the list of your child's medicines or the pill bottles when your child sees his caregivers. Learn why your child takes each medicine. Ask your child's caregivers for information about your child's medicines. Do not give your child over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbs, or food supplements without first talking to his caregivers.
  
  
• Always give your child his medicine as directed by caregivers. Call your child's caregiver if you think your child's medicines are not helping. Call if you think your child is having side effects from the medicine. Do not stop giving a medicine until you discuss it with your child's caregiver.
  
  
• If your child is taking antibiotics (an-ti-bi-AH-tiks), your child must take them until they are all gone even is he feels better.

When is my child's next doctor's appointment?

Ask for more information about where and when to take your child for follow-up visits:

For continuing care, treatments, or home services for your child, ask for information.

When can my child do his normal activity?

Children usually recover from a heart cath very quickly. Help your child go a little slower for the first few days after a heart cath. Help your child to play quietly or lie flat as much as possible the night after the heart cath.

• Ask your child's caregiver when he can rough play or participate in contact sports. Examples of rough play are riding bikes or tricycles, P.E. class, jumping, swinging, or heavy lifting.
  
  
• Ask your child's caregiver when he may return to school, preschool, or daycare.
  
  
• Dress your child in loose clothing for the first few days after the heart cath. This will keep the skin around the catheter wound from being irritated (bothered) while it heals.

When can my child take a bath or shower?

You may give your child a sponge bath or shower after your child goes home. Do not let your child take a full bath or go swimming until the scabs where the catheter was put in fall off. This usually takes about 1 week. Carefully wash the catheter site with soap and water. Afterwards put on a clean, new bandage.

What can my child eat?

Ask your child's caregiver if your child should be on a special diet. If your child is sick to his stomach, give him only clear liquids like water, juice, or popsicles. If your child feels good, give him the foods that he regularly eats.

How do I take care of my child's heart cath wound?

• It is normal for your child to have a small amount of bruising and soreness where the catheter went in. This area may hurt a little bit for a few days. Watch your child's catheter bruise. Draw a line with pen around the edges of your child's catheter bruise. This will show you if the bruise starts to get bigger.
  
  
• Keep your child's catheter wound clean and dry. Change the bandage each day or whenever it gets dirty or wet. Do this until the catheter wound scab falls off.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• Your child's incision is swollen, red, or has pus or foul-smelling fluid coming from it. This may mean it is infected.
  
  
• Your child has a fever.
  
  
• Your child has chills, a cough, or feels weak and achy. These are signs that your child may have an infection.
  
  
• Your child's skin is itchy, swollen, or has a rash. Your child's medicine may be causing these symptoms. This may mean you child is allergic (uh-LER-jik) to his medicine.
  
  
• You have questions or concerns about your child's heart cath, illness, or medicine.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• The bruise where the catheter went into your child gets bigger.
  
  
• Your child's leg or arm used for the heart cath loses feeling, is very painful, or changes color.
  
  
• Your child becomes weak on one side of his body or face.
  
  
• Your child has trouble speaking clearly.
  
  
• Your child has a change in his vision.
  
  
• If the place where the catheter was put in starts to bleed, use your hand to put firm pressure on the bandage. Hold this pressure and call your child's caregiver right away. Tell the caregiver that your child is bleeding. If you cannot stop the bleeding, call 911 or 0 (operator). This is an emergency. Ask for an ambulance to take your child to the nearest hospital or clinic.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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