Summary
Highlights
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart defect where the ductus arteriosus, a vessel connecting the aorta and pulmonary artery in a fetus, fails to close after birth. This leads to increased pulmonary blood flow, causing complications due to excess blood entering the lungs.
The ductus arteriosus is vital for fetal circulation, bypassing non-functional lungs. After birth, lungs become functional, requiring this vessel to close. If it remains open, oxygenated blood from the aorta shunts into the pulmonary artery, leading to increased pressure in the lungs, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and risk of endocarditis.
Signs and symptoms depend on the size of the PDA. Small PDAs can be asymptomatic, while large ones cause noticeable issues. PDA is common in premature infants. Key signs include a continuous 'machinery-like' heart murmur, increased heart rate, wide pulse pressure (a large difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure), heart failure symptoms like lung congestion, activity intolerance, and failure to thrive due to feeding difficulties and calorie expenditure for breathing.
Treatment aims to close the ductus arteriosus. Indomethacin, a prostaglandin inhibitor, is a medication primarily used for premature infants to clamp the vessel shut. For older infants, children, or adults, invasive procedures like heart catheterization (inserting a device to close the structure) or surgery (tying off the vessel) may be required.