John A. Conta-López, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario San Rafael; Servicio de Cardiología, Unidad Cardiovascular Conta y Pérez SAS; Tunja, Colombia
Daniel F. Gutiérrez-Villamil, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario San Rafael; Servicio de Cardiología, Unidad Cardiovascular Conta y Pérez SAS; Tunja, Colombia
Carolina M. Pérez-Chona, Programa de Medicina del Deporte y la Actividad Física, Universidad de Boyacá, Tunja, Colombia
Lina E. López-Morales, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario San Rafael; Servicio de Cardiología, Unidad Cardiovascular Conta y Pérez SAS; Tunja, Colombia
Ledmar J. Vargas-Rodríguez, Servicio de Cardiología, Unidad Cardiovascular Conta y Pérez SAS, Tunja, Colombia
Introduction: Adult congenital heart disease is a significant cause of cardiovascular complications. Late diagnosis limits this population’s care, leading to many patients not receiving timely treatment. It is essential to understand these patients’ characteristics to develop more effective strategies for their diagnosis and treatment. Objective: To characterize the adult patients with congenital heart disease treated at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study of adult patients with congenital heart disease. The data obtained were examined using univariate statistical analysis. Results: The most prevalent congenital heart disease was atrial septal defect (36.7%), followed by patent foramen ovale (26.5%) and patent ductus arteriosus (14.3%). There was a higher frequency of congenital heart disease in female patients (53.1%). The most prevalent comorbidities in this population were congestive heart failure (95.9%) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (75.5%). A total of 77.6% of the cases were diagnosed in adulthood, and 87% had not undergone surgical or percutaneous procedures. There was a 4.08% mortality rate in this study. Conclusions: Congenital heart disease continues to be diagnosed late, which prevents timely correction of the structural abnormalities. These diseases are associated with various cardiovascular complications, entailing a high burden of morbidity in this population.
Keywords: Congenital heart disease. Adult. Atrial septal defect. Heart failure.
