What are the symptoms of patent ductus arteriosus?

Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
Updated on September 11, 2024
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Patients with patent ductus arteriosus may exhibit several clinical manifestations based on the amount of shunting. 1. Small shunt volume: The internal diameter of the patent ductus arteriosus is small, and the patient may exhibit no subjective symptoms. The prominent sign is a continuous machinery murmur heard at the left sternal border at the second intercostal space and below the left clavicle, accompanied by a thrill; pulse pressure may slightly increase. 2. Moderate shunt: Patients commonly experience fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort after exertion. The heart murmur is similar in character to the above but louder, accompanied by a thrill, and widely transmitted. At times, diastolic and mild systolic murmurs caused by left ventricular enlargement, relative mitral valve insufficiency, and stenosis can be heard at the apex, with a positive vascular sign. 3. Large shunt volume: This condition in a patent ductus arteriosus often accompanies secondary severe pulmonary hypertension, leading to a right-to-left shunt. The typical murmur's diastolic component may diminish or disappear, followed by the disappearance of the systolic murmur, and only a diastolic murmur due to pulmonic valve insufficiency can be heard. Patients often exhibit cyanosis and severe clinical symptoms.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Is a patent ductus arteriosus funnel type severe?

The arterial duct is a pathway through which blood from the maternal placenta is delivered to the fetus. This pathway usually closes at birth, and in most cases, it successfully closes within three months. If it remains open after one year, it can be diagnosed as a patent ductus arteriosus. The shapes of the arterial duct include funnel-shaped, tubular, and window-type. Regardless of the type, if it does not cause serious cardiac complications, it can be addressed with interventional treatments or surgical procedures, making it a relatively non-severe condition. However, if the patent ductus arteriosus remains open for a long time, leading to severe pulmonary arterial hypertension and even left-to-right shunts causing serious cardiac dysfunction, it is considered severe. Therefore, the shape of the patent ductus arteriosus does not have diagnostic significance regarding the severity of the condition. Rather, the severity is assessed based on the patient's symptoms, evaluation of cardiac function through echocardiography, and the condition of pulmonary artery pressure. In the early stages, most cases of patent ductus arteriosus are not very serious and can be resolved through treatment.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Can a patent ductus arteriosus be treated with minimally invasive surgery?

Patent ductus arteriosus refers to the condition in infants where the ductal connection between the pulmonary artery and the aortic arch from the embryonic period remains open after the first year of birth. Generally, this duct is tubular or funnel-shaped and most cases can be treated minimally invasively. Surgical treatment is considered only if there are severe adhesions involving the aorta or pulmonary artery, or there are developmental issues. Therefore, patent ductus arteriosus can be treated with minimally invasive surgery, and most cases are amenable to such treatment.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Is surgery necessary for an unclosed arterial duct?

Patent ductus arteriosus is a type of congenital heart disease. Currently, surgical treatment is recommended for patients because it involves minimally invasive techniques. Additionally, post-surgery recovery is quick, and there are fewer complications. Particularly for this disease, medication is often not very effective and does not achieve the therapeutic goal. Surgical treatment can completely resolve the patient's issues, thereby reducing the frequency of recurrence and not affecting the child's growth and development. In the meantime, it is still vital to actively prevent respiratory infections.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Is it easy to get pneumonia if the arterial duct is not closed?

Because patent ductus arteriosus is a type of congenital disease, particularly congenital heart disease, it is recommended that patients visit a hospital for a cardiac ultrasound. This can help clarify the diagnosis and thus determine the treatment plan. A simple patent ductus arteriosus can sometimes close on its own. For those that do not close or are underdeveloped, surgical treatment can be used to alleviate the current condition. This is important because the disease can easily lead to pneumonia, especially recurrent respiratory infections. Sometimes, there may be developmental anomalies, particularly affecting the growth and changes in the child's height and weight. In these cases, early surgical treatment is still recommended.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Can you drink alcohol with a patent ductus arteriosus?

Under normal circumstances, the ductus arteriosus in newborns gradually closes, and in most infants, the ductus arteriosus is completely closed within three months. However, for some people, even after one year of birth, the ductus arteriosus may not necessarily be diagnosed as congenital patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a heart condition. Patients with this condition often experience pathological cardiac phenomena such as left-to-right shunts or right-to-left shunts. Due to these potential issues, the cardiac workload can worsen, leading to cardiac dysfunction and eventually heart failure. Drinking alcohol can potentially increase the patient's blood pressure and heart rate, adding more strain to the heart and exacerbating the condition. Therefore, it is advised that such patients avoid alcohol until after surgical treatment has been completed and their condition has stabilized. There are two methods of surgical treatment: most cases can be completely cured with interventional therapy, while a minority may require surgical ligation.