Download - Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
Patent Ductus Arteriosus Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) (PDA)
March of Dimes Fall 2008
November 11, 2008
Background informationBackground informationA congenital heart defect
(problems present at birth)An artery called the ductus
arteriosus leads blood from the heart away from the lungs in the baby during pregnancy
Under normal circumstances, a newborn’s ductus arteriosus closes with a few hours or a few days of birth
How the heart works How the heart works
What is Patent Ductus What is Patent Ductus ArteriosusArteriosusSometimes the newborn’s ductus
arteriosus does not close soon enough after birth. This is PDA.
CausesCausesNo specific known causesGenes may play a roleSide effect of other CHDs
OccurrenceOccurrenceAround 3000 diagnosed each year in the
USAMore common in premature and/or
hypoxic infants (lack of bradykinin)More likely in babies with Down
syndromeMore likely if mother had German measles (rubella) during pregnancy
Twice as common in girls as boys
Signs and SymptomsSigns and SymptomsTachycardiaSweatingShortness of breath, fast
breathingHeart murmurTired easilyPoor feeding and weight gain Enlargement of heart
DiagnosisDiagnosisDiagnosis begins with heart murmurSmall PDA may not be diagnosed
until later childhoodIn premature babies, heart murmur
may not be detected, so diagnosis begins with fast breathing
Two methods to diagnose: ◦Echocardiogram (ultrasound picture)◦Electrocardiogram (electrical signals
from heart)
Treatment and OutcomesTreatment and Outcomes
An otherwise healthy baby’s PDA may eventually go away
If other defects slowing blood flow are present, the PDA may be wanted to keep open until surgery can be performed
If the opening is too large and does not close by the age of 1 or 2, it will need to be treated
Treatment methods: medicine, catheter based, surgery
Treatments (cont’d) Treatments (cont’d) Medicines used to close:
indomethasin (in premature babies) and ibuprofen
Cardiac catheterization Surgery is used when
babies are too small for them to receive catheterization and is done on babies older than 6 months without other health problems from the PDA
What is March of Dimes What is March of Dimes Doing? Doing? Not specifically for PDA, but
scientists funded by March of Dimes are working on linking genes and environmental factors to congential heart defects and also brain injuries to prevent and treat them.
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