Which two congenital heart defects are initially treated with PGE1 and require surgical correction?

The treatment of congenital heart defects often involves the administration of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), particularly in conditions where maintaining ductal patency is crucial for systemic or pulmonary blood flow. In the case of transposition of the great vessels and tetralogy of Fallot, both conditions can lead to critical situations where immediate intervention is necessary.

Transposition of the great vessels results in parallel circulation, which impairs oxygenation of blood and can quickly lead to severe hypoxemia. PGE1 is utilized to keep the ductus arteriosus open, allowing for some mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood until definitive surgical repair can be performed.

Tetralogy of Fallot, characterized by a combination of four heart defects, often leads to decreased blood flow to the lungs (tet spells). Similar to transposition, PGE1 can be effective in maintaining ductal patency, which can improve pulmonary blood flow, thus helping to alleviate cyanotic spells before surgical correction is performed.

Both conditions necessitate surgical intervention, usually within the first year of life, to correct the structural anomalies and restore normal circulation patterns. Therefore, these two congenital heart defects are indeed treated initially with PGE1 and require surgical correction later on.