Late medical therapy of patent ductus arteriosus using intravenous paracetamol
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Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale PFO: An Intervention Sequence
Published on: December 23, 2022
Afif EL-Khuffash1, Adam T James2, Aoife Cleary2
1Department of Neonatology, The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of late treatment with intravenous paracetamol on patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure prior to possible PDA ligation.
Methods:
A retrospective review of infants with a haemodynamically significant PDA, considered for PDA ligation and treated with intravenous paracetamol prior to possible ligation.
Results:
Thirty six infants with a median gestation of 26.1 weeks received paracetamol at a median age of 27 days. Paracetamol was associated with immediate closure in nine (25%) infants. There was no response to paracetamol treatment in four (11%) infants who subsequently underwent a PDA ligation. In 23 (64%) infants, the PDA constricted and all but one of this group demonstrated complete PDA closure prior to discharge.
Conclusions:
There may be a role for intravenous paracetamol in late closure of infants with a significant PDA to avoid ligation. The use of paracetamol for late treatment of PDA should be systematically evaluated.
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