Text A. Tetralogy of Fallot

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cause of cyanotic heart disease. TOF is not one heart defect but a combination of four different heart defects. Tetralogy is a Greek word that means ‘four-fold’, and Fallot is the name of the doctor who first identified the condition. In cases of TOF, there are four defects that affect the heart:

• A hole between the left and right ventricle (Ventricular Septal Defect).
• A narrowing of the pulmonary valve (pulmonary stenosis).
• The muscles of the right ventricle are unusually thick (right ventricular hypertrophy).
• The aortic valve is in the wrong position (displaced aorta).

Normal Heart and Heart with Tetralogy of Fallot

Figure A shows the normal structure and blood flow in the interior of the heart. Figure B shows a heart with the four defects of Tetralogy of Fallot.

As a result of this complex set of heart defects, oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-low blood become mixed. This leads to blood with a lower-than-normal oxygen content being pumped around the body.

As the body’s cells and tissue are not receiving enough oxygen, the child will develop symptoms of cyanotic heart disease, such as blue-coloured fingers, toes and lips as a result of a lack of oxygen. They also experience symptoms of breathlessness, fainting, chest pains, fatigue, and episodes of hypoxia. Hypoxia occurs when the body is suddenly starved of oxygen. There are some common symptoms that are present in both cyanotic and acyanotic heart disease. These include poor appetite and feeding difficulties, sweating, particularly when a baby is feeding, and delayed growth. Children with TOF are usually underweight and small for their age.

8. Answer the questions:

1. What’s the main cause of cyanotic heart disease?

2. How many defects are there in case of Tetralogy of Fallot? What are they?

3. Why does the body suffer from insufficiency of oxygen?

4. What symptoms does the child develop in cyanotic heart disease?

5. What symptoms are common for both cyanotic and acyanotic heart disease?

9. Translate into English the following word-combinations:

1) «белый» порок сердца; 2) тетрада Фалло; 3) испытывать приступы гипоксии; 4) тяжелые симптомы отдышки; 5) причина порока сердца «синего» типа; 6) кровь с низким содержанием кислорода; 7) обморок; 8) анастомоз Блалока-Тоссига; 9) срочная операция; 10) врожденный порок сердца

10. Find the synonyms for the following words in the texts:

1. opening (n)	6. shortness of breath (n)
2. blue skin (n)	7. damage (v)
3. develop (v)	8. respiratory (adj)
4. sufficient amount (n)	9. tiredness (n)
5. sign (n)	10. perspiration (n)

11. Translate the sentences:

1. (Врожденный порок сердца) is the most common type of birth defect, with six out of every 1,000 babies being born with the condition. 2. Half of all babies born with congenital heart disease (требуют срочной операции) after birth. 3. (Дефект межжелудочковой перегородки) is the most common cause of acyanotic heart disease. 4. As the aortic valve is the main route (для крови, обогащенной кислородом) to supply the body, the narrowing can lower the body’s oxygen supply. 5. Babies and children with TOF (испытывают приступы цианоза), which can sometimes be severe. 6. The symptoms of cyanotic heart disease include (отдышку, обморок и приступы гипоксии).