Open Access

ARTICLE

Hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus and the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Kent A. Willis, Mark F. Weems

Division of Neonatology and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.

* Corresponding Author: Mark F. Weems, MD, 853 Jefferson Ave, Suite 201, Memphis, TN 38163. Email:

Congenital Heart Disease 2019, 14(1), 27-32. https://doi.org/10.1111/chd.12691

Abstract

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is prevalent in premature newborns and has been linked to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a serious pulmonary complication of premature birth. Although a causal relationship has not been proven, the link is greatest among infants born at lower gestational age who are treated with mechanical ventilation in the presence of a large ductal shunt. Despite strong association in epidemiological studies, treatment of a patent ductus arteriosus has not been shown to prevent BPD, and some therapies may increase the risk of BPD. We describe preclinical and clinical data demonstrating the association of a PDA with BPD, highlight the effects of surgical and pharmacological treatment, and explore the implications of recent clinical trials for the management of PDA in the premature newborn.

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