Postoperative Care of a Paediatric Patient With Common Arterial Trunk Associated With Ventricular Septal Defect and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Rare Case Report

Common truncus arteriosus is a rare congenital cardiac malformation. This case was associated with a ventricular septal defect (VSD) and also combined with pulmonary hypertension, which, together with the young age of the child and the fragility of the tissues, demanded a high degree of refinement in surgical operation, making the procedure complex and extremely risky. This case reports the postoperative care experience of a child with a common arterial trunk (CAT) combined with a VSD and pulmonary hypertension. Throughout the postoperative nursing process, blood pressure fluctuations should be closely monitored to prevent postoperative bleeding; cardiac changes and in/out volume should be closely monitored to reduce cardiac oedema and to be alert to cardiac arrhythmia; pulmonary physical therapy and early rehabilitation training should be strengthened to promote the recovery of cardiopulmonary function; stepwise nutritional risk screening interventions should be carried out to ensure the supply of nutrients; and maximised humanistic care should be given to prevent neurological complications. In similar cases, doctors and nurses should pay attention to postoperative hemodynamic monitoring, concern for bleeding risk, and anti-heart failure treatment, etc., to promote the recovery of children through careful treatment and care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Common truncus arteriosus is a rare congenital cardiac malformation, and the relevant literature is mostly studies on genetics, diagnosis, and therapeutic methods, with less practical nursing experience available for clinical caregivers. This case reports the key points and difficulties of postoperative intensive care nursing, which can help critical care nurses to formulate targeted nursing interventions, thus improving the ability of critical care nurses in caring for this type of disease, and promoting the early recovery of postoperative children.