Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Also testable as: HLHS, Hypoplastic left heart
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Critical congenital heart defect where left-sided heart structures do not form adequately.
- The left heart cannot pump oxygenated blood to the body; systemic perfusion depends on fetal shunts such as PDA until intervention.
Medications
No specific medication class was seeded for this card.
Signs / symptoms
- Critical congenital heart disease screen failure.
- Cyanosis/shock as PDA closes.
- Prostaglandin keeps ductus open but watch apnea.
Nursing actions
- Assess cyanosis, poor feeding, tachypnea, weak pulses, lethargy, shock signs, and oxygen saturation differences.
- Maintain prostaglandin infusion pathway if ordered to keep ductus arteriosus open and monitor for apnea.
- Prepare for neonatal cardiac stabilization and staged surgical planning.
Complications
- Cardiogenic shock
- Metabolic acidosis
- Organ hypoperfusion
- Death without intervention
NCLEX cues
- Critical congenital heart disease screen failure.
- Cyanosis/shock as PDA closes.
- Prostaglandin keeps ductus open but watch apnea.
Memory hooks
- HLHS needs the ductus for body blood flow.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Pulse oximetry screen
- Echocardiogram
- ABG/metabolic status
- Glucose and perfusion trends
Review notes
- Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Condition card for Hypoplastic left heart syndrome: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Temporary stop in breathing.
Bluish or gray discoloration from low oxygenation or poor perfusion.
Critical congenital heart defect where left-sided heart structures are underdeveloped.
Post-operative monitoring after heart or congenital cardiac repair.
Ultrasound of heart structure, valves, movement, and blood flow.
Medication infusion used to keep the ductus arteriosus open in ductal-dependent congenital heart disease.