Tag Archives: liver disease

Introduction A Fontan procedure is a surgical connection between the systemic venous return and the pulmonary artery performed in complex congenital heart disease where there is only one functioning ventricle.1 Most commonly, tricuspid atresia, pulmonary atresia (with intact ventricular septum), hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and a double inlet ventricle are the congenital heart defects palliated by a Fontan procedure.2 Problems associated with a Fontan procedure include cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular dysfunction, lymphatic dysfunction, protein losing enteropathy, venous thrombosis, plastic bronchitis, liver cirrhosis, and increased risk

FH: improving detection in primary care The launch of the NICE (National Institute of Health and Care Excellence) guidelines for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) heralded great optimism for improving detection rates in primary care.1 Even with new research showing that FH is more common than previously thought,2  still around 80% of patients are not recognised. Novel detection approaches are clearly needed. Professor Nadeem Qureshi (University of Nottingham) presented preliminary findings from six GP centres taking part in FAMCHOL (Feasibility of Improving Identification of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia in General Practice: Intervention