ACHD
Medical abbreviation · Cardiology
| Stands for | Adult congenital heart disease |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
ACHD stands for Adult congenital heart disease, a cardiology abbreviation.
Subspecialty and patient population concerning adults born with heart defects, whether repaired, palliated or never diagnosed. Because most children with congenital heart disease now survive to adulthood, adults outnumber children with these conditions in many high-income countries.
Example: Fontan patient, age 28, transferred to the ACHD clinic for liver surveillance and arrhythmia follow-up.
Usage notes
The 2018 AHA/ACC guideline recommends that adults with moderate or complex defects be followed at specialized ACHD centers. Common late problems include arrhythmias, heart failure, valve dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension and, after the Fontan operation, liver disease. In the US, ACHD became a board-certified subspecialty of cardiology in 2015.
Related abbreviations
More cardiology abbreviations
- AAA – Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- ABI – Ankle-brachial index
- ABPM – Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
- ACC – American College of Cardiology
- ACS – Acute coronary syndrome
- ADHF – Acute decompensated heart failure
- AED – Automated external defibrillator
- AF – Atrial fibrillation
- AFib – Atrial fibrillation
- AFL – Atrial flutter
- AHA – American Heart Association
- AI – Aortic insufficiency
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.