Patent Ductus Arteriosus Is a

Patent Ductus Arteriosus is a serious problem for those that have it. 'Patent' means open or unobstructed, 'Ductus' is the blood vessel in a fetus which joins together the pulmonary artery and the descending aorta, and 'Arteriosus' means something that pertains to the artery. Taken together, the definition of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) is an abnormal opening, located between the descending aorta and the pulmonary artery, that allows for the shunting of blood from left to right between the descending aorta and the pulmonary artery.

The result of this is that the arterial blood is recirculated through the lungs. Often, there are no clinical effects early on in a person's life, but by the age of 40 symptoms can usually be seen in most individuals that have this condition. These symptoms are usually manifest as pulmonary vascular disease. Many patients that have this condition undergo surgery to repair the problem or have a shunt placed to help correct it. Of these individuals, most of them recover well, and their chances for recovery are actually quite good.

If, however, the problem is not diagnosed or repairs are not made properly, PDA can advance into Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) which can be fatal for many people (www.med-help.net) Patent Ductus Arteriosus is most often seen in premature infants and rubella syndrome is often seen as accompanying it. Other congenital defects such as ventricular septal defect, pulmonary and aortic stenoses, and coarctation of the aorta are often associated with it as well.

The main cause of PDA is that the fetal ductus arteriosus, which is a fetal blood vessel connecting the descending aorta to the pulmonary artery, fails to close properly. It should close on its own in the days or weeks after a baby is born. There are various symptoms that come with the condition. Usually, infants with a PDA that is very large will have signs of respiratory distress and CHF.

Also possible is a failure to thrive, as well as a high frequency of respiratory infections and motor development that is slower than average. On average, most of the children that have PDA show only cardiac symptoms as opposed to other heart disease symptoms such as fatigability and physical underdevelopment. Fatigability and dyspnea on exertion may be seen in PDA patients that have reached 40 years old, however, if their PDA has not been treated, or has not been treated properly (www.med-help.net).

Having a PDA allows for blood to shunt from left to right, or from the systemic circulation to the pulmonary circulation. The flow of blood is therefore excessive on the pulmonary side and there are very few factors that can control how severe this actually is. The larger the narrowest point of the ductus arteriosus, the larger the shunt. A restrictive ductus arteriosus can also have an effect, depending on the length of the narrowed area. Having a longer ductus is often associated with having a smaller shunt.

It is also partially controlled by how much pulmonary vascular resistance there is when compared with systemic vascular resistance. Low pulmonary vascular resistance or high systemic vascular resistance creates a larger flow through the ductus arteriosus. Having a large shunt results in enlargement of the left ventricle and atrium, and very large PDAs can also dilate the ascending aorta and the pulmonary veins (www.emedicine.com). Treatment for those that are still.