Condition3 connections · 1 source
Cardiac Shunt
An abnormal passage of blood between two areas of the heart or major vessels that bypasses normal circulatory pathways. Shunts can be left-to-right, causing volume overload, or right-to-left, causing systemic hypoxemia.
Key Facts
- Left-to-right shunts divert oxygenated blood back to the lungs, increasing pulmonary blood flow and cardiac workload.
- Right-to-left shunts allow deoxygenated blood to bypass the lungs and enter systemic circulation, causing cyanosis.
- The direction of shunting depends on the relative pressure and resistance between the connected vessels.
- Surgical or interventional closure is often required to prevent progressive cardiac damage.
Connections (3)
Related Conditions
Congestive Heart FailureCondition
Persistent left-to-right shunting leads to volume overload and eventual heart failure.
Patent Ductus ArteriosusCondition
PDA is the most common congenital defect that creates a cardiac shunt.
Pulmonary HypertensionCondition
Chronic high pulmonary blood flow can eventually reverse shunt direction by increasing pulmonary vascular resistance.