Prevalence of VSD, PDA, and ASD in Saudi Arabia by Echocardiography: A Prospective Study

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a serious issue in pediatric health care. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), atrial septum defect (ASD), and ventricular septum defect (VSD) using echocardiography. A descriptive prospective study was conducted at a medical center in Saudi Arabia. Pediatric patients were enrolled in the study if they exhibited one or more of the following: cardiomegaly, large pericardial effusion, or heart murmur grades 4 to 6. In total, 356 patients were enrolled in the study and underwent a standard comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation. These data were tested for associations with patient demographic data. Multiple CHD manifestations were noted (n = 446), with PDA (47.47%) most common, followed by ASD (41.85%) and VSD (28.9%). A statistical association was noted between PDA and patient age (P < .00) as well as ASD and female sex (P < .00). PDA was the most frequent of all CHDs manifestations