Patent Ductus Arteriosus

It is important to recognise that PDA in the preterm infant and PDA in term babies and older children are two very distinct conditions with different implications and management - Dr Colin Tidy

Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Patent Ductus Arteriosus

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Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Treatment is generally not considered, as the PDA usually closes on its own in the case of a premature baby.

Close monitoring is considered for full term babies, children and adults with small PDA and with no other health complications. During follow-up, if the baby does not have any other complications, it is considered to be closed. On the other hand, if the baby has certain heart problems or defects, the ductus arteriosus might be lifesaving.

In a premature baby, it may take one to two years. But in full term babies, PDA that remains open after several weeks rarely closes on its own. Medicines such as indomethacin or ibuprofen may be considered...

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 Patent Ductus Arteriosus

The ductus arteriosus is a small connection in the fetal heart helps oxygen rich blood to by-pass the immature baby’s lungs and flow into the body. This connection naturally closes shortly after birth. The connections that fail to close, are called patent ductus arteriosus, where the oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor combines together resulting in an increase in the workload of heart and various other complications.

Imperial College London

In the fetus, the ductus arteriosus links the pulmonary artery with the aorta. At this time, the pressure in the pulmonary circulation is greater than in the systemic circulation to that blood flows from right to left i.e. from the pulmonary artery into the aorta.

Patient

It is important to recognise that PDA in the preterm infant and PDA in term babies and older children are two very distinct conditions with different implications and management.

StatPearls

The ductus arteriosus is a fetal vessel that allows the oxygenated blood from the placenta to bypass the fetal lungs in utero. At birth, a newborn inhales for the first time and the lungs fill with air, causing pulmonary vascular resistance to drop and blood to flow from the right ventricle to the lungs where it can undergo oxygenation. The increased arterial oxygen tension and decrease in blood flow through the ductus arteriosus causes the ductus to constrict and functionally close by 12 to 24 hours of age in healthy, full-term newborns, with permanent (anatomic) closure occurring within 2 to 3 weeks.

UK Healthcare

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart defect that occurs when an artery called the ductus arteriosus stays open after birth instead of closing. In the womb, this artery routes blood away from the lungs. But when a baby starts breathing air after birth, the artery is no longer needed and typically closes within days. A PDA can cause the lung arteries to receive too much blood, which can tax the heart and lungs.

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