Cardiac surgery in special populations, Part 3: Patients with cognitive dysfunction.

Patients with cognitive dysfunction, usually Down's syndrome, frequently require corrective cardiac surgery for congenital cardiac anomalies. The most common cardiac anomalies in Down's syndrome are patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, atrioventricular canal defects, and Tetralogy of Fallot. This article, the third and last in a series, discusses the physiology of the defects and the nursing care required for comprehensive care of the patient with delayed development.