HealthCentral.com

Home > Health Encyclopedia > Ventricular septal defect

Ventricular septal defect

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Heart, section through the middle

Heart, section through the middle

Heart, front view

Heart, front view

Ventricular septal defect

Ventricular septal defect

Ventricular septal defect

Alternative Names:

VSD; Interventricular septal defect
Symptoms:

shortness of breath
breathing fast
breathing hard
paleness
failure to gain weight
fast heart rate
pounding heart
sweating while feeding
frequent respiratory infections in children

Signs and tests:

A stethoscope examination of the heart usually reveals a loud, continuous murmur (the sound of the blood rushing across the hole).

Tests include:

a chest x-ray to see if there is a large heart with fluid in the lungs
an ECG shows signs of an enlarged left ventricle
an echocardiogram -- definitive diagnosis
a cardiac catheterization (rarely needed)

Email this page

Printer friendly

Bookmark this page

advertisement

Symptoms Checker

New! Get alerts and insights on your specific health needs from our FREE NEWSLETTERS!

New! See Our Marketplace

What's New

Rheumatoid Arthritis Quiz

Rheumatoid Arthritis Quiz

RA affects more than 1 million adults in the U.S. Test your rheumatoid arthritis knowledge with this quick quiz! More

HealthCentral Network
Health Sites

view all conditions

see health library

Powered by Psychology Today

Answer questions, check symptoms, find resources

Take action, achieve goals, resolve a problem

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

Featured Advertiser Links

advertisement

Books from Our Experts

Note: All clinical content on this site is physician-reviewed, except material generated by our community members.

Featuring Content From:

By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on HealthCare08Central.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2005-2009. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. All rights reserved.

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.