We describe the management of three newborn infants with tricuspid atresia and ductus-dependent pulmonary circulation referred to the Instituto do Coração cardiology center of the state of Pernambuco in November 1992. We also present a brief review of the literature. Complete diagnosis was established by echocardiography at the neonatal ICU. All three patients were intubated, mechanically ventilated, and given continuous infusion of prostaglandin E1 and dopamine. Within a 10 to 24 hour period after hospitalization, all patients were submitted to surgery. One patient died on the third postoperative day and the other two were discharged with good clinical status. Despite the small population sample, our experience shows that good outcomes can be obtained in our setting in clinical and surgical management of tricuspid atresia of ductus-dependent pulmonary circulation patients -- provided that early diagnosis of cyanotic congenital heart disease is obtained and that the patient is timely transferred to a reference center of pediatric cardiology.
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