Patent Ductus Arteriosus Is a Term Paper

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Fatigability and dyspnea on exertion may be seen in PDA patients that have reached 40 years old, however, if their PDA has not been treated, or has not been treated properly (www.med-help.net).

Having a PDA allows for blood to shunt from left to right, or from the systemic circulation to the pulmonary circulation. The flow of blood is therefore excessive on the pulmonary side and there are very few factors that can control how severe this actually is. The larger the narrowest point of the ductus arteriosus, the larger the shunt. A restrictive ductus arteriosus can also have an effect, depending on the length of the narrowed area. Having a longer ductus is often associated with having a smaller shunt. It is also partially controlled by how much pulmonary vascular resistance there is when compared with systemic vascular resistance. Low pulmonary vascular resistance or high systemic vascular resistance creates a larger flow through the ductus arteriosus.
Having a large shunt results in enlargement of the left ventricle and atrium, and very large PDAs can also dilate the ascending aorta and the pulmonary veins (www.emedicine.com).

Treatment for those that are still very young can include medical care and surgical care. For medical care, the premature neonate is often treated with indomethacin given intravenously. This can sometimes close the PDA without surgical intervention. After age 1, however, cardiac catheterization is the most common way of closing a PDA. Surgical intervention is often used in the case of PDAs that are much larger and therefore cannot be closed by occlusion through cardiac catheterization or through intravenous indomethacin. All procedures that are commonly used appear to have very good results and differences in recovery rates, life expectancy, and other related issues are not apparent (www.emedicine.com)......

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