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Experiences from operated cases of patent ductus arteriosus
Author(s) -
MANNHEIMER EDGAR
Publication year - 1948
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1948.tb06815.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ductus arteriosus , decompensation , phonocardiogram , endocarditis , shunting , surgery , cardiology
Summary It is nowadays possible to make a diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus by means of the continuous murmur and itspunctum maximum over the pulmonary orifice this symptom being registrable in the phonocardiogram. It may, for various reasons be regarded as an established fact that these cases have a varying degree of latent insufficiency. This, together with certain social indications, has lead to proposed surgery in all cases of isolated patent ductus arteriosus. In Sweden, CRAFOORD has up till now operated on about seventy‐five cases. The following results are obtained from an after‐examination of thirty‐three of the forty cases included in the material from The Crown‐princess Lovisa's Children's Hospital. The surgical mortality rate equals one death. No recidivism occurred. All the objective and subjective symptoms of cardiac decompensation, consisting of slight cyanosis, dyspnoea, fatigue, etc., disappeared after operation. The patients' development is normal physically as well as mentally. No difference is ascertainable between them and their comrades with normal hearts. One case of septic endocarditis, with an observation period of only three months after operation, has, as far as is possible to judge, regained complete health. The Röntgen radiograms disclosed a considerable decrease in the heart Volume after the intervention. As a rule, the result of the hypoxia tolerance test, with 9 per cent of oxygen for 10 minutes, was positive before and negative after the operation. This indicates a normalization of the cardiac function.