South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Comparative Study
Is cardiac surgery warranted in children with Down syndrome? A case-controlled review.
To compare children with Down syndrome and children without Down syndrome and investigate whether there is a significant difference in the burden that is placed on the health care system between these two groups only in respect of the repair of congenital heart disease at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. ⋯ Denying cardiac surgery to children with Down syndrome does not improve the efficiency of resource allocation. It is therefore not reasonable to suggest that the problem of scarce resources can be ameliorated by discriminating against children with Down syndrome.