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Declining mortality from congenital heart disease related to innovations in diagnosis and treatment: a population-based study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2008

Victor Grech  and
Charles Savorja-Ventura
Victor Grech*
Affiliation:
paediatric Department and Gynaecology, St Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia, Malta
Charles Savorja-Ventura
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia, Malta
*
Victor Grech, MRCR Paediatric Department, St Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia, Malta. Tel: 241251 ext. 1471; Fax: 240176
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Abstract

The majority of live births with severe congenital cardiac malformations that do not undergo intervention of some form die prematurely. The population of Malta provides an ideal closed cohort from which to monitor trends. We have observed a significant declining specific mortality from congenital heart disease, and circumstantial evidence relates this decline to the introduction of new techniques used in the diagnosis and treatment of these malformations.

Keywords

Heart defects-congenitalmortalitytrendsdiagnosissurgery
Type
Brief Reports
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , January 1999 , pp. 78 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

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