PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS

Course overview

THE DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS IS A FETAL VESSEL THAT ALLOWS THE OXYGENATED BLOOD FROM THE PLACENTA TO BYPASS THE FETAL LUNGS IN UTERO. AT BIRTH, A NEWBORN INHALES FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE LUNGS FILL WITH AIR, CAUSING PULMONARY VASCULAR RESISTANCE TO DROP AND BLOOD TO FLOW FROM THE RIGHT VENTRICLE TO THE LUNGS WHERE IT CAN UNDERGO OXYGENATION. THE INCREASED ARTERIAL OXYGEN TENSION AND DECREASE IN BLOOD FLOW THROUGH THE DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS CAUSES THE DUCTUS TO CONSTRICT AND FUNCTIONALLY CLOSE BY 12 TO 24 HOURS OF AGE IN HEALTHY, FULL-TERM NEWBORNS, WITH PERMANENT (ANATOMIC) CLOSURE OCCURRING WITHIN 2 TO 3 WEEKS. IN PREMATURE INFANTS, THE DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS DOES NOT CLOSE RAPIDLY AND MAY REQUIRE PHARMACOLOGIC OR SURGICAL CLOSURE TO TREAT UNWANTED REPERCUSSIONS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION, TREATMENT, AND POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS OF A PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS AND ILLUSTRATES THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM APPROACH TO ITS MANAGEMENT.