Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Patients Referred to the Paediatric Cardiology Outpatient Services at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2018: A review of demographics, referral patterns, diagnoses and clinical outcomes
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in children causes considerable morbidity and mortality in Africa and its impact on health systems is an emerging problem. Paediatric cardiology is a highly specialized field based in tertiary centres with worldwide demand exceeding available resources. Upon...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613612643713024 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Tlopo, Canicia Puleng |
| author2 | Zühlke, Liesl |
| author_browse | Tlopo, Canicia Puleng Zühlke, Liesl |
| author_facet | Zühlke, Liesl Tlopo, Canicia Puleng |
| author_sort | Tlopo, Canicia Puleng |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in children causes considerable morbidity and mortality in Africa and its impact on health systems is an emerging problem. Paediatric cardiology is a highly specialized field based in tertiary centres with worldwide demand exceeding available resources. Upon suspicion of CVD, specialist investigation, early intervention and follow-up are major challenges in low- and middle-income settings. Aim: To investigate and describe patients referred for specialist cardiology services at a tertiary children's hospital in Africa Methods: Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital (RCWMCH) is a tertiary paediatric hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. We reviewed patients referred to our outpatient cardiology service, investigating demographics, spectrum of disease, and clinical outcomes. Results: Between 1 January and 31 December 2018, 625 new patients were referred to cardiology outpatient department (COPD) services. Eighty percent (n=501) had structurally normal hearts. The majority of the remainder with confirmed CVD (98%, n=122) had congenital heart defects. Median age of the cohort with CVD was 3.9 months (IQR: 2.6-12.0) with a slight female preponderance (55%). Thirty-four (28%) patients were scheduled for surgery. Ten percent of referred patients had incomplete letters of referral, furthermore we found no feedback plans to these referring practitioners from the COPD doctors. Conclusion: Demands on paediatric cardiology services at RCWMCH are high. Most referred outpatients have structurally normal hearts, straining an already overwhelmed specialist service. However, 28% of patients found to have congenital defects required surgery, highlighting the need to prioritise certain patients. Strengthening communication and feedback channels between cardiologists and generalists will optimise care. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/37363 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:38:55.349Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Department of Paediatrics and Child Health |
| publisherStr | Department of Paediatrics and Child Health |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/37363 Patients Referred to the Paediatric Cardiology Outpatient Services at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2018: A review of demographics, referral patterns, diagnoses and clinical outcomes Tlopo, Canicia Puleng Zühlke, Liesl Paediatric cardiology referrals Low- and middle-income paediatric cardiology services Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in children causes considerable morbidity and mortality in Africa and its impact on health systems is an emerging problem. Paediatric cardiology is a highly specialized field based in tertiary centres with worldwide demand exceeding available resources. Upon suspicion of CVD, specialist investigation, early intervention and follow-up are major challenges in low- and middle-income settings. Aim: To investigate and describe patients referred for specialist cardiology services at a tertiary children's hospital in Africa Methods: Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital (RCWMCH) is a tertiary paediatric hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. We reviewed patients referred to our outpatient cardiology service, investigating demographics, spectrum of disease, and clinical outcomes. Results: Between 1 January and 31 December 2018, 625 new patients were referred to cardiology outpatient department (COPD) services. Eighty percent (n=501) had structurally normal hearts. The majority of the remainder with confirmed CVD (98%, n=122) had congenital heart defects. Median age of the cohort with CVD was 3.9 months (IQR: 2.6-12.0) with a slight female preponderance (55%). Thirty-four (28%) patients were scheduled for surgery. Ten percent of referred patients had incomplete letters of referral, furthermore we found no feedback plans to these referring practitioners from the COPD doctors. Conclusion: Demands on paediatric cardiology services at RCWMCH are high. Most referred outpatients have structurally normal hearts, straining an already overwhelmed specialist service. However, 28% of patients found to have congenital defects required surgery, highlighting the need to prioritise certain patients. Strengthening communication and feedback channels between cardiologists and generalists will optimise care. 2023-03-13T08:53:40Z 2023-03-13T08:53:40Z 2022 2023-02-21T07:24:41Z Master Thesis Masters MMed http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37363 eng application/pdf Department of Paediatrics and Child Health Faculty of Health Sciences |
| spellingShingle | Paediatric cardiology referrals Low- and middle-income paediatric cardiology services Tlopo, Canicia Puleng Patients Referred to the Paediatric Cardiology Outpatient Services at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2018: A review of demographics, referral patterns, diagnoses and clinical outcomes |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Patients Referred to the Paediatric Cardiology Outpatient Services at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2018: A review of demographics, referral patterns, diagnoses and clinical outcomes |
| title_full | Patients Referred to the Paediatric Cardiology Outpatient Services at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2018: A review of demographics, referral patterns, diagnoses and clinical outcomes |
| title_fullStr | Patients Referred to the Paediatric Cardiology Outpatient Services at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2018: A review of demographics, referral patterns, diagnoses and clinical outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patients Referred to the Paediatric Cardiology Outpatient Services at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2018: A review of demographics, referral patterns, diagnoses and clinical outcomes |
| title_short | Patients Referred to the Paediatric Cardiology Outpatient Services at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2018: A review of demographics, referral patterns, diagnoses and clinical outcomes |
| title_sort | patients referred to the paediatric cardiology outpatient services at red cross war memorial children s hospital in 2018 a review of demographics referral patterns diagnoses and clinical outcomes |
| topic | Paediatric cardiology referrals Low- and middle-income paediatric cardiology services |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37363 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tlopocaniciapuleng patientsreferredtothepaediatriccardiologyoutpatientservicesatredcrosswarmemorialchildrenshospitalin2018areviewofdemographicsreferralpatternsdiagnosesandclinicaloutcomes |