[A study of the mortality of children with transposition of the great arteries treated at the Institute of Pediatrics, Medical Academy of Cracov, in 1966-1973 (author's transl)].

The mortality of children with transposition of the great arteries treated at the Institute of Pediatrics in 1966-1973 was assessed. The number of deaths among 52 observed children, 5 days to 8 years old, was analysed according to the sex and age of the children treated during 8 subsequent years (Fig. 1). It was shown that this congenital heart malformation occurred three times more frequently among boys than among girls, but mortality was the same in both groups examined (Table I). The period of 8 years was divided into 2 four-year periods because the surgical treatment of that condition was introduced only after 1970. According to the authors' observations all children who were treated conservatively during the first period (1966-1970) have died. During the second period (1970-1973) this malformation of the heart was diagnosed twice as often, in 35 cases, and there were only 21 deaths among these children (Table II). During that period the diagnosis of this malformation greatly improved, because in half of the cases observed the proper diagnosis was made in the first two weeks of life. This is a positive fact, because the possibility of successful septostomy is greater if the surgery is performed on younger infants.