ABTS Congenital Cardiac study guide
ABTS Congenital Cardiac · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ABTS Congenital Cardiac Surgery Initial Certification is a board certification credential for surgeons who have completed approved training in congenital cardiac surgery, or who qualify through the alternate pathway. It is designed to assess the knowledge, judgment, and operative readiness needed to care for neonates, infants, children, and adults with congenital heart disease. The ABTS Congenital Cardiac study guide has 5 sections and about 1,593 words.
01Neonatal and Infant Congenital Cardiac Surgery
A neonate with congenital heart disease is a physiology problem before it is a surgical one. Two questions organize everything: is the ductus supplying pulmonary blood flow (pulmonary atresia, critical pulmonary stenosis, tetralogy with pulmonary atresia) or systemic perfusion (hypoplastic left heart, interrupted aortic arch, critical coarctation, critical aortic stenosis)?
318 words, about 2 min02Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Surgery
Secundum atrial septal defects and perimembranous ventricular septal defects are usually closed electively at 3–5 years, or earlier with failure to thrive, aortic regurgitation, or pulmonary hypertension. The non-negotiable contraindication is pulmonary vascular disease with a net right-to-left shunt: closing an Eisenmenger defect removes the pop-off and precipitates right heart failure.
299 words, about 1 min03Perioperative and Intensive Care Management
After stage I palliation the single ventricle ejects into both the aorta and the pulmonary arteries, so the distribution of flow is set by the ratio of systemic to pulmonary vascular resistance. Everything done at the bedside changes that ratio.
312 words, about 2 min04Diagnostic Imaging, Catheterization, and Physiology
Catheterization answers questions imaging cannot: pressures, resistances, shunt fraction, and reactivity. The Fick principle underlies all of it; oxygen consumption is assumed or measured, and small errors in assumed VO2 change calculated output substantially.
331 words, about 2 min05Professionalism, Ethics, and Systems-Based Practice
Consent in pediatric cardiac surgery is a process, not a signature. Parents or guardians give permission; the child gives assent when developmentally able.
333 words, about 2 min