What is ductus arteriosus

This allows the oxygen-rich red blood to mix with oxygen-poor blue blood and forces the lungs and heart to handle a larger amount of blood than is normal. How well the lung vessels can compensate depends on how big the patent ductus is and how much blood from the aorta is able to pass through it. Extra blood flow may cause in higher pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs, a condition called pulmonary hypertension. The larger the volume of blood that goes to the lungs, the more potential damage to the lungs and heart.

Also, because blood is pumped at high pressure through the patent ductus, the lining of the pulmonary artery may become irritated and inflamed. Bacteria in the bloodstream can easily infect this injured area, causing a serious illness known as bacterial endocarditis.

The extra blood that flows to the lungs through the patent ductus increases the workload of the heart and can lead to heart failure. The size of the patent ductus arteriosus will affect the type of symptoms, the severity of symptoms and when they occur. A child with a small patent ductus might not have any symptoms, and your child's doctor may only discover the defect by hearing a heart murmur. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. Planning for pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Townsend CM Jr, et al. Congenital heart disease. Elsevier; Conrad C, et al. Understanding the pathophysiology, implications and treatment options of patents ductus arteriosus in the neonatal population. Advances in Neonatal Care. Ferri FF. Patent ductus arteriosus. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Accessed Oct. Kliegman RM, et al. Altitude-associated illness in children acute mountain sickness. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Congestive heart failure and congenital defects. American Heart Association.

Before a baby is born, the fetus's blood does not need to go to the lungs to get oxygenated. The ductus arteriosus is a hole that allows the blood to skip the circulation to the lungs. However, when the baby is born, the blood must receive oxygen in the lungs and this hole is supposed to close. If the ductus arteriosus is still open or patent the blood may skip this necessary step of circulation. The open hole is called the patent ductus arteriosus. The ductus arteriosus is a normal fetal artery connecting the main body artery aorta and the main lung artery pulmonary artery.

The ductus allows blood to detour away from the lungs before birth. Every baby is born with a ductus arteriosus. After birth, the opening is no longer needed and it usually narrows and closes within the first few days. Sometimes, the ductus doesn't close after birth. Failure of the ductus to close is common in premature infants but rare in full-term babies.

In most children, the cause of PDA isn't known. Some children can have other heart defects along with the PDA. Normally the heart's left side only pumps blood to the body, and the right side only pumps blood to the lungs. In a child with PDA, extra blood gets pumped from the body artery aorta into the lung pulmonary arteries. If the PDA is large, the extra blood being pumped into the lung arteries makes the heart and lungs work harder and the lungs can become congested.

If the PDA is small, it won't cause symptoms because the heart and lungs don't have to work harder. The only abnormal finding may be a distinctive type of murmur noise heard with a stethoscope.

If the PDA is large, the child may breathe faster and harder than normal. Infants may have trouble feeding and growing at a normal rate. Symptoms may not occur until several weeks after birth. High pressure may occur in the blood vessels in the lungs because more blood than normal is being pumped there. Over time this may cause permanent damage to the lung blood vessels.

If the PDA ductus is small, it doesn't make the heart and lungs work harder. Surgery and other treatments may not be needed. These coils can help the baby avoid surgery.

Surgery may be needed if the catheter procedure does not work or it cannot be used due to the baby's size or other reasons. Surgery involves making a small cut between the ribs to repair the PDA.

If a small PDA stays open, the baby may eventually develop heart symptoms. Babies with a larger PDA could develop heart problems such as heart failure, high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, or an infection of the inner lining of the heart if the PDA does not close. This condition is most often diagnosed by the provider who examines your infant. Breathing and feeding problems in an infant can sometimes be due to a PDA that has not been diagnosed.

Congenital heart disease. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Congenital heart disease in the adult and pediatric patient. Updated by: Michael A. Editorial team. Patent ductus arteriosus.