Premium
Echocardiographic detection and management of patent ductus arteriosus in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome: A two‐and one‐half year prospective study
Author(s) -
Goldberg Stanley J.,
Allen Hugh D.,
Sahn David J.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/jcu.1870050306
Subject(s) - medicine , ductus arteriosus , respiratory distress , cardiology , heart failure , digoxin , prospective cohort study , cardiac output , anesthesia , hemodynamics
A prospective 2 1/2 year study of 50 infants with combined respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) was undertaken to determine whether echocardiographic measurements combined with clinical assessment could be used to select those infants who needed cardiac treatment. From a pilot study, criteria were adopted to use digoxin in the treatment of infants with evidence of congestive cardiac failure and/or a left atrial dimension 1.5 times normal size, and to ligate the PDA in those with unremitting congestive cardiac failure and a left atrial dimension persistently twice normal. Left atrial, left ventricular, and aortic dimensions, left atrial to aortic ratio, and mean Vef were echocardiographically determined. Forty‐six per cent of the 50 infants with PDA required igoxin administration, and 18 per cent of the total group was operated. The long‐term mortality for the total group was 12 per cent (6 of 50) and mortality was 33 per cent (3 of 9) for the operated group. Results showed that absolute left atrial dimension, particularly if recorded in two dimensions, most accurately predicted those infants who would develop congestive cardiac failure that would become medically unmanageable.