Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
When you’re on duty and a child with a suspected congenital heart disease is admitted, the first question that hits you is: How do I confirm it clinically?
Dr. Anand Bhatia breaks this down beautifully using the NADAS Criteria and later explains the fundamentals of Lutembacher Syndrome, differential cyanosis, murmur grading, and congenital heart defects associated with various syndromes.
This blog frames his entire session exactly as spoken—simply arranged into a readable, student-friendly format without altering the content.
Understanding NADAS Criteria for Congenital Heart Disease
To clinically diagnose congenital heart disease, we follow the NADA’s Criteria, which are divided into Major and Minor components.l
Major Criteria
- Systolic murmur ≥ Grade 3
- Any diastolic murmur
- C for Cyanosis
- C for Congestive Heart Failure
(crepitations in the chest, raised JVP, periorbital edema, facial puffiness)
Minor Criteria
- Systolic murmur < Grade 3
- Any abnormal findings in the:
- Second heart sound
- ECG
- Blood pressure
- Chest X-ray
Diagnostic Cutoff
- One major OR two minor criteria
(Compare: Revised Jones Criteria for acute rheumatic fever requires one major AND two minor.)
Grading of Murmurs: The Six Grades You Must Know
Dr. Bhatia emphasises that murmurs are always classified into six grades:
- Grade 1 – Very faint
- Grade 2 – Soft, heard in all areas
- Grade 3 – Moderately loud
- Grade 4 – Loud with a thrill
- Grade 5 – Very loud (stethoscope partly off chest)
- Grade 6 – Loudest (stethoscope completely off chest, still audible)
A simple way to remember:
- Loud + Lift (thrill) = Grade 4
- Very loud = Grade 5
- Loudest = Grade 6
Most Common Congenital Heart Diseases in Important Syndromes
Dr. Bhatia lists the key exam-favourite associations:
- Down Syndrome: Endocardial Cushion Defect
- Holt–Oram Syndrome: Ostium Secundum ASD
- Alagille Syndrome: Pulmonary stenosis (+ butterfly vertebra)
- Williams Syndrome: Supravalvular aortic stenosis
- Apert Syndrome: Coarctation of aorta / VSD
- TAR Syndrome: Atrial Septal Defect
- DiGeorge Syndrome: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
- Ellis-van Creveld: Single atrium & ASD
These are straightforward, direct exam questions.
Lutembacher Syndrome – The One-Liner You Must Remember
Lutembacher Syndrome = ASD + Mitral Stenosis
- Typically Ostium Secundum ASD
- Increased left-to-right shunt due to mitral stenosis
- Results in:
- Right atrial hypertrophy
- Right ventricular hypertrophy
- Pulmonary hypertension
ASD + MS also increases the risk of infective endocarditis.
Differential vs Reverse Differential Cyanosis
Differential Cyanosis
(Lower limbs more cyanotic than upper limbs)
Occurs when:
- PDA with reversal of shunt
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Coarctation of aorta
- Aortic stenosis
- Interrupted aortic arch
Why does this happen?
Because the aorta gives branches to the upper limbs BEFORE meeting the PDA. So the upper limbs receive fresher blood, while the lower limbs get the desaturated mixture.
Reverse Differential Cyanosis
(Upper limbs more cyanotic than lower limbs)
Seen in:
- TGA with reversal of shunt
- TGA with pulmonary hypertension
- d-TGA with VSD
- Supracardiac TAPVC
- Persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn
Here, because of altered mixing dynamics, the upper limbs get the more desaturated blood before the PDA contributes better-oxygenated blood to the descending aorta (lower limbs).
Final Takeaway
Dr. Anand Bhatia’s session captures the essence of:
- How to apply NADAS Criteria in real clinical settings
- Clear understanding of murmur grading
- High-yield congenital heart associations
- Crisp explanation of Lutembacher Syndrome
- The practical concept of differential and reverse differential cyanosis
