DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS IN INFANCY

A large patent ductus arteriosus can produce obvious cardiac difficulty and death in infancy. The diagnosis of a patent ductus arteriosus in infancy can be difficult in the absence of a continuous murmur. In such instances special studies such as cardiac catheterization or retrograde aortography should be performed to establish the diagnosis. Surgical closure of the patent ductus arteriosus can and should be performed in those infants with symptoms and findings of cardiac difficulty—dyspnea, cardiomegaly, murmur, and marked growth failure. Data have been presented on 16 infants with patent ductus arteriosus in whom surgical closure of the patent ductus arteriosus was deemed necessary before 18 months of age. Of the 16 infants, one died during surgery (6% mortality rate) and the remaining showed marked improvement following surgery. Postoperative rate of growth was variable in patients followed one year or less, consistently improved in those followed 1½ years or more.