4. INTRODUCTION
• Truncus arteriosus is a congenital
anomalies of the heart. This defect
occurs when the blood vessel coming
out of the heart in the fetus
(developing baby) fails to separate
completely during development,
leaving a connection between the
aorta and pulmonary artery.
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5. FUNCTIONS OF A HEART WITH TRUNCUS
ARTERIOSUS
• In babies with truncus arteriosus,
oxygenated blood and deoxygenated
blood mix together whiles the heart
pumps blood to the lungs and other
parts of the body.
• This causes the heart to work harder to
pump blood to the rest of the body and
too much blood goes into the lungs.
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6. FUNCTIONS OF A HEART WITH TRUNCUS
ARTERIOSUS
• Babies with this condition have a single
common valve called the truncal valve
instead of having both an aortic valve and a
pulmonary valve which controls blood flow
out of the heart.
• This valve is an abnormal valve because it
can get thickened and narrowed which can
block blood as it leaves the heart and also
leak causing the blood that leaves the heart
to go back into the heart across the valve.
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7. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF TRUNCUS
ARTERIOSUS
• The following symptoms are usually
seen within the few days or weeks of
life.
–Rapid breathing
–Clammy sweating
–Poor feeding
–Slow growth
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