Test Your Heart Defect Knowledge
(Reprinted with permission from ACHD)
How does your health knowledge compare to that of the average adult living with a heart defect? Take the test to find out!
1. What is the name of your heart defect(s)?
2. Modify the heart diagram below to roughly indicate the specific differences between your heart and a "regular" heart
3. What are three symptoms that might indicate a weakening heart?
4. What is endocarditis?
5. What is the typical symptom of a person who has endocarditis?
6. Which of the following can present a heart infection risk?
(Check all that apply)
a) Poor nail care
b) Poor skin care
c) Intrauterine Device (IUD)
d) Poor dental care
e) Body piercing and tattooing
7. True or false - individuals with heart defects face an increased risk of having a baby with a heart defect?
1. and 2. One study showed that 54% of all adults with heart defects could name their diagnosis correctly. Only 26% could locate their defect on a heart map. If you can do these things, congratulations! If not, get your doctor or nurse to sit down with you and help you learn how to do both these things.
3. These include fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen ankles, dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, and fainting. One study found only 31% of adults with heart defects could identify symptoms of heart deterioration.
4. Endocarditis is an infection in your heart. People with heart defects are usually more vulnerable, since our hearts tend to have more places where bacteria can "stick". One study found only 16% of heart defect patients could define endocarditis.
5. The more common symptoms of endocarditis is an unexplained fever for more than 5 days. If you did not know this, you are not alone - only 10% of surveyed heart patients did. Ask your doctor or nurse to review your specific risks for endocarditis and how to protect yourself with antibiotics.
6. All of the listed situations present a risk of endocarditis. Although 71% of heart defect patients surveyed knew that dental problems could cause endocarditis, only 25% knew that IUDs could cause it, and only 10% knew that poor nail and skin care were a risk.
7. Only 25% pf patients surveyed knew that individuals with heart defects are considered to have an increased risk of having a baby with a heart defect, although in most defects this increased risk is quite small (3-5%). Some defects may have an increased risk of up to 50%. If you are planning to have children, talk with your doctor about your specific risks and the availability of genetic counselling to help inform your decisions.
Whether you started out knowing all, most, some, or none of the information, you now know much more about your health risks than the average adult living with a heart defect. Congratulations.
All references in this test come from: Moons P, De Geest S, Budts W. Comprehensive care for adults with congenital heart disease: Expanding roles for nurses. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing 2002;1:23-28.
Thank you to the Adult Congenital Heart Association for permitting us to reprint this test on our website.
