II. Epidemiology
- Incidence: 12% of Congenital Heart Defects
- Affects 20-60% of Premature Infants
- Females affected twice as often as males
III. Risk Factors
- Maternal residence at high altitude
- Rubella exposure in the first timester
IV. Pathophysiology
- Failure after birth of obliteration ductus arteriosus
- Leaves communication between aorta and pulmonary artery
V. Symptoms (may be asymptomatic)
- Growth retarded
- Exertional Dyspnea
VI. Signs
- Machinery murmur throughout Cardiac Cycle
- Late systolic accentuation of murmur
- Left second interspace
- Left back
- Large shunt related findings
VII. Diagnostics: Electrocardiogram
- Large PDA
-
Pulmonary Hypertension
- Right Ventricular Hypertrophy
- Biventricular hypertrophy
VIII. Imaging
-
Chest XRay
- Cardiomegaly
- Increased pulmonary markings
-
Echocardiogram
- Identify PDA on doppler flow
-
Aortogram
- Accentuated pulmonary conus
- Prominent pulsating lung markings
- Pulmonary artery opacification
IX. Management
-
Premature Infant (requires urgent management)
- Indomethacin
- Surgical ligation or transvenous Occlusion
- Child
- Surgical ligation or transvenous Occlusion
X. References
- Saenz (1999) Am Fam Physician 59(7):1857-66 [PubMed]
- Cyran (1998) PREP review lecture, October, Phoenix
- Merenstein (1994) Pediatrics, Lange