Clinical profile and management of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants

Twenty cases of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm inborn infants were studied retrospectively. The diagnostic criteria were a systolic or a systolodiastolic murmur, tachycardia (greater than 160 per minute), hyperdynamic precordium, collapsing arterial pulses, cardiomegaly or a need for intermittent positive pressure ventilation or continuous distending airway pressure. The incidence was found to be 2.48/1000 live births and 1.5% of SCBU admission. All babies were less than 35 weeks gestation and 18/20 weighed less than 1750 g at birth. Ten babies were treated with indomethacin (0.2 mg/kg) and two of these babies died before the course of treatment was completed. Ten babies were treated with conservative therapy. They could not be administered indomethacin because two died of fulminant sepsis soon after the diagnosis was made; two babies had sepsis and DIC but recovered from it, three had thrombocytopenia, one had azotemia, two babies had hyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion. The two groups of babies matched in respect to gestational age, sex, age at presentation, birth weight and associated illnesses. Two babies in each group died soon after diagnosis. Of the eight babies in each group, six babies closed the ductus on indomethacin therapy as against two on conservative therapy. This difference was significant (p less than 0.05). The babies who responded to indomethacin were all treated within two weeks of age. None of them showed any complication of drug therapy or recurrence of PDA. We conclude that intragastric indomethacin given early in the management of symptomatic PDA in term infants is a safe and effective modality.