Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Care Resources

This document contains a collection of bedside resources for the practitioner who is providing bedside care for adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). These patients may be hospitalized in either an adult or pediatric facility. The Care Resources include problem interventions and summaries of congenital heart defects with surgical interventions/repairs and potential/actual complications that may be encountered in adults who have grown up with CHD. These resources have been developed by a group of advance practice nurses from around the country with the goal of providing a quick, comprehensive overview of the bedside care for the nurse at the point of care. Each topic in this outline may be opened, printed, and taken to the bedside for quick reference or serve as a guideline for further investigation on the care or problems that are presented by the ACHD patient.

Links to additional electronic resources in the care of adults with congenital heart disease include:

• American Heart Association: ACC/AHA 2008 Guidelines for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/118/23/e714
• Adult Congenital Heart Association: www.achaheart.org
• Pregnancy information on care for women who have congenital heart disease: http://www.heartdiseaseandpregnancy.com/