Patent ductus arteriosus

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Heart, section through the middle

Patent ductus arteriosis (PDA) - series

PDA

In newborns, fluid restriction and medications (indomethacin, ibuprofen) are used initially to close PDAs. If these measures do not work or can't be used, surgical ligation (clipping) is performed.

Surgical treatment of PDAs is performed on older children even if they have no symptoms because the PDA will not close by itself. Endovascular coils placed in the PDA have been used successfully as an alternative to surgery.

The surgery has a low risk of complications in experienced hands, and the outcome is mostly related to the patient's pre-existing medical condition(s).

If the patent ductus is not closed, the infant has a risk of developing heart failure or infective endocarditis.

This condition is usually diagnosed by a doctor examining your infant. Respiratory distress and feeding intolerance in an infant can occasionally be due to undiagnosed PDA.

Review Date: 06/27/2006
Reviewed By: Anne J. L. Chun, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.