Introduction. Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) are the most common birth defects worldwide. It is usually impossible to determine the exact cause of congenital heart defect (CHD), but thanks to highly developed prenatal diagnostics, most cases of CHD are detected during foetal life. A percentage of children affected by CHS will still require surgical treatment before the age of one year. Aim. The purpose of this study is to present the process of nursing care of a child undergoing surgical treatment for CHD in the immediate postoperative period and to present the main tasks that a nurse performs when caring for this patient. Case description. A 7-month-old infant with atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) was admitted to the cardiosurgical ward for surgical treatment of the CHD. The procedure was performed under extracorporeal circulation with cooling to 32 degrees Celsius. After the procedure, the patient in serious condition was transferred from the operating theatre to the cardiac surgery ward. Conclusions. Child in an early postoperative period after correction of CHD requires comprehensive care. One of the key tasks of the nurse was to detect early signs of complications and take appropriate actins in the event of their occurrence.

Key words: congenital heart defect, nursing care, child, postoperative care.