Patent ductus arteriosus
Description
Symptoms
The most common clinical sign is the onset of a murmur under the left collar bone. Patent ductus arteriosus may be accompanied by a high heart rate and rapid breathing and also increased pulmonary flow. This increase produces congestion which prevents development of the lungs in premature babies.
Who is affected by patent ductus arteriosus?
It principally affects premature babies. Patent ductus arteriosus affects 30% of premature babies weighing under 1500g.
Diagnosis
Patent ductus arteriosus is detected via echocardiogram.
Typical treatment
When the patent ductus arteriosus affects the new-born’s health, initial treatment is medical and pharmacological.
Pharmacological treatment
Indometacin is the standard treatment for closing the ductus arteriosus with medication. Ibuprofen can also be used as this anti-inflammatory gives good results in these cases.
Medical treatment
The usual treatment would be closure via catheterization. This means inserting a catheter into the ductus arteriosus to close it. This type of closure would normally be used for babies with ductus arteriosus under 3 mm diameter and who are of a suitable weight.
Surgical treatment is reserved for patients where pharmacological treatment has failed, or where it is not advisable, and for cases where catheterization is not recommended.
Prognosis is excellent both for closure through catheterization and surgery. The recanalization rate of patent ductus arteriosus is estimated at 0-3 %.