Neonatologist-Performed Echocardiography versus Pediatric Cardiologist for the Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm...

Objective: Premature babies have a fragile circulatory system balance; therefore, rapid inter- vention may be needed in patients with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Echocardiography performed by a neonatologist can help to choose the best treatment option for newborns in a timely manner. The aim is to evaluate the performance of neonatologists in ductus assessment. Materials and Methods: Among the neonates born at the hospital, those diagnosed with PDA (n=40) under 32 weeks of gestational age were evaluated with echocardiography by a neo- natologist and a pediatric cardiologist. Interobserver variability analysis was done using the intraclass coefficient value and Cohen's kappa test results. Results: An excellent interobserver agreement was found in the peak systolic-to-end diastolic flow velocity ratio, a good agreement in the narrowest diameter of the ductus, peak systolic and diastolic velocities, and mitral A velocity. Raters had moderate to poor agreement in the rest of the variables such as left atrium/aorta ratio, ampulla diameter, length of the ductus, and left pulmonary artery diameter. Conclusion: It is suggested that neonatologists perform echocardiography to measure the nar- rowest diameter of the ductus and ductal flow velocities for PDA evaluation.