Cardiopulmonary function findings of pediatric patients with patent ductus arteriosus

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
• Congenital Heart Disease

Background:

• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a common congenital heart defect in children.
• Transcatheter occlusion and surgical ligation are standard PDA treatments.
• Long-term cardiopulmonary effects of PDA treatment require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare cardiopulmonary exercise function in children treated for PDA via surgical ligation versus transcatheter occlusion.
• To assess functional capacity and heart rate response during exercise post-PDA intervention.
• To evaluate the need for activity restrictions in children after PDA treatment.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 55 children with PDA underwent pulmonary function tests and symptom-limited treadmill exercise tests.
• Patients were categorized into surgical ligation and catheterization groups.
• A healthy, age-, sex-, and BMI-matched control group was included for comparison.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in pulmonary function or ventilatory parameters were found between the surgical, catheterization, and control groups.
• Heart rate at peak exercise and anaerobic threshold differed significantly among groups.
• The surgical ligation group exhibited lower peak and threshold heart rates compared to both catheterization and control groups (P=.02, P<.001).

Conclusions:

• Children treated for PDA demonstrate normal pulmonary function and ventilatory parameters regardless of treatment modality.
• While surgical ligation was associated with lower heart rates during exercise, transcatheter occlusion showed no difference from controls.
• These findings support the recommendation against imposing activity restrictions and encourage physical training post-PDA intervention.