Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Patent Ductus Arteriosus
It is defined as the congenital heart disease in which there is persistent opening between the two large blood vessel which arise from the heart. Opening is known as ductus arteriosus, after birth circulation start then this opening close but if it remains open it is called patent ductus arteriosus.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms depend upon the size of opening, some symptoms include:
- Rapid heart rate
- Fatigue
- Sweating
- Crying
- Poor eating
- Poor growth
Causes
It is occurred during the early development stage when heart start to developed from its origin, genetic factors might be involved in the congenital heart disease.
Diagnosis
After taking medical history and conducting a physical examination your doctor might recommend a following tests to confirm the diagnosis:
- MRI to see the heart actual size
- ECG to check the electrical activity of heart
- Chest x-ray to see the normal size and shape of heart
- Cardiac catheterization
Treatment
Treatment depend upon the severity of symptoms and age of patient, treatment option includes:
- Wait until PDA closes on its own.
- Medications to close the PDA like indomethacin and NSAIDs
- Surgical closure if medicine don’t improve the condition
- Antibiotics to prevent secondary infections