DELAYED DIAGNOSIS OF CHDS IN RURAL PAKISTAN AND ITS IMPACT ON SURVIVAL

Introduction: Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) lead to many deaths of infants in countries all over the world. It is common for CHDs in rural Pakistan to be diagnosed slowly, owing to limited healthcare facilities, a lack of understanding about the disease, and limitations in seeing a specialist. Objective: To assess the impact of delayed diagnosis of CHDs on survival outcomes in children from rural Pakistan. Materials and Method: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad, Pakistan from July 2021 to December 2021. The data came from examining the charts of 150 children with congenital heart disease. Among the patients in the study were children up to 12 years old who had heart defects determined by echocardiography. Criteria such as when the disease started, the initial symptoms, the time it took to receive a diagnosis, and treatment results were analyzed to review the data. Results: Sixty-two percent of patients experienced a delayed diagnosis, and it was linked to more problems and risks of death. The social class, level of education, and neighborhood where the person lived all played a role in the process of diagnosis. Conclusion: Detecting CHD early on improves the chances for a positive outcome. Each community should have greater access to healthcare and education about their health.