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.
Keywords
Cite This Article
Willis, K. A., Weems, M. F. (2019). Hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus and the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Congenital Heart Disease, 14(1), 27–32.