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Updated: Mar 27, 2026
Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
Published on: January 27, 2023
Early predictive echocardiographic features of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus in preterm VLBW
Tugcin Bora Polat1, Istemi Han Celik2, Omer Erdeve3
1Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Kemerburgaz University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Background:
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in very low-birthweight (VLBW) preterm infants due to significant left-to-right shunting, which leads to pulmonary edema/hemorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage, acute renal failure and necrotizing enterocolitis. In this prospective study, echocardiography was carried out in VLBW preterm infants soon after birth and at the end of 72 h to evaluate the relationship between early ductal anatomic features and significant ductal shunt during follow up.
Methods:
Preterm infants with a gestational age ≤ 28 weeks, birthweight < 1000 g and who had ductal patency during the first 6-12 h of life underwent color Doppler echocardiograms through the first 3 days after birth.
Results:
Fifty-eight patients were enrolled. The DA remained open in 42 preterm infants (72.4%) and was hemodynamically significant in 36 (62%) at the end of 72 h postnatal age. The preterm infants with hemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) had shorter ductal length from aortic to pulmonary insertion and from ductal constriction to pulmonary insertion in the initial exam. Cut-offs for these lengths were 5.2 and 1.7 mm, respectively. These parameters had significant univariate correlation with ductal closure time after treatment.
Conclusions:
Echocardiographic features such as short ductal length and short or absent ductal constriction area can be used to predict hsPDA for early decision making strategies in VLBW preterm infants.
