What is ductus arteriosus?
Ductus arteriosus is a structure present in a fetal heart that helps to improve the blood circulation of the fetus. It is a path between aortic and pulmonary arteries that allows blood to mix between these two arteries, which means that blood flows easier. This communication is usually closed during the first few days of life, but if this is not the case, the condition is called the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The PDA can still solve without treatment or may require medical or surgical intervention.
Fetal oxygen is obtained through the umbilical cord, instead of replacing gases in the lungs. A lot of blood flow to the lungs that occur when people do not occur in the fetus, because the circulatory system bypasses this process. Both ductus arteriosus and ductus venosus, small communication or hole in two atrium, reduce the amount of blood flowing into the lungs by moving to the left side of the heart. Mixing oxygenated and neoxygenate blood does not matter the fetal circulation due to higher oxygen properties in each blood and dependence on the mother PRO oxygen supply.
When the newborn breathes, the circulatory patterns change dramatically. Suddenly the lungs are connected and the heart has new requirements. Increasing the drawing of the left ventricle and the rapid blood flow is undesirable blood mixing. Blood avoided the heart from the ductus arteriosus can overwhelm the right side of the heart and increase the pressure in the lungs. In most cases, the act of breathing begins to close the ductus arteriosus; As circulatory formulas change, this communication is closed, often until the third day of life outside the womb.
In some cases, there is no closure and this condition that can be detected by a weak heart murmur cannot require more than observation. Alternatively, a striking PDA can cause high lung pressure or cause problems such as poor oxygenation into the body. The not closing is the most common in premature children who are expected to have 30% of the PDA rate. In these cases or uOlder children or adults with PDAs can use medicines, catheter interventions such as Spring Coil, or may intervene surgically to carry out the necessary closure.
In the treatment of more serious newborn heart defects, the closure of ductus arteriosus may be essential in the first few days of life. Prostaglandins can help keep this communication open for several days, when there are other deep defects changing heart function. Some operations, such as Blalock-Tussig Shunt, replicate the Ductus Arteriosus function until children are slightly older and can have further repairs of their hearts that more precisely restore normal circulation.
Although PDA is one of the most common heart defects, it is still relative unusual. Fortunately, it can be detected by careful listening to a stethoscope. Although Ductus arteriosus is not closed for several months, it may not apply. Poor increment or weight growth, fatigue, modest at the ends or difficult breathing are a hinty, that more medical intervention is needed. If children have this condition and are otherwise healthy, there is usually no indication to intervene. If parents feel uncertain about the recommended course, consultation with a pediatric cardiologist is proposed.