Double Inlet Left Ventricle (DILV)
(800) 250-7280
One of the congenital heart diseases that may be linked to the depression medication, Paxil®, is double inlet left ventricle (DILV). Children who are born with DILV have only one ventricle (lower chamber) working in their heart.
Also known as a Holmes Heart, double inlet left ventricle, affects the heart valves and chambers. Patients with double inlet left ventricle will typically have a large left ventricle and a small right ventricle, which means only the left ventricle is fully developed.
In a normal heart, the right ventricle works by pumping blood to the pulmonary artery, which takes the blood to the lungs where it will receive oxygen before being dispersed to the rest of the body. In a heart with double inlet left ventricle, the blood never goes to the right ventricle to receive oxygen, so oxygen rich and oxygen-poor blood mixes and is spread throughout the body.
Complications of Double Inlet Left Ventricle
This heart defect is extremely complicated and difficult to treat. Patients with the defect are at risk of complications such as:
- Heart failure
- Clubbing of the fingers and toes
- Pneumonia
- Heart beat problems
- Lung damage
- Death
If your infant shows any of the following signs or symptoms, contact your doctor immediately:
- Difficulty breathing
- Eating decreases
- Stomach or legs swell up
- Cyanosis, skin turns blue
- Becoming easily tired
- Too tired to eat or drink
- Weight gain decreases
- Growth discontinues
- Skin turns pale
- Profuse sweating
Double Inlet Left Ventricle Treatment
Two types of surgery might have to be performed in the first few weeks of a child's life to ensure the treatment works against the DILV.
Treatment to the atrium, heart and ventricles will be done until the cyanosis or blue color of the skin subsides. In order to ensure that a double inlet left ventricle is fully treated, several other surgeries might be done before a child turns one year old.
Paxil® Birth Injury Lawsuit
If your child is born with DILV or another heart defect and you took a medication such as Paxil® during your pregnancy, you may qualify for compensation. Paxil® and other medications in its class have been linked to birth injuries. For more information, or to speak with a qualified pharmaceutical attorney about your circumstances, call or email us today.
