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Re: Spontaneous closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in infants after discharge from hospital

Dear Editor,

Herrman et al demonstrated that patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closes spontaneously in most of the cases of a select group of very low birth weight infants. We did a similar retrospective observational study, at North Trent Regional Intensive Care Unit (Jessop Wing) in Sheffield, in infants diagnosed with PDA on echocardiogram, done for the murmur on routine baby check examination or for other clinical indication as per our unit policy.

184 cardiac echocardiograms were done between Sept 2007 and Sept 2008 by the consultant radiologists. Mean age of echocardiograms was 2.3 days (Range from 0-17 days). 83 cases were found to have PDA with or without persistent foramen ovale (PFO), without any other significant pathology. 42 Cases had only PDA while 41 had both PDA and PFO. PDA was categorised into three categories: small (< 2mm), moderate (2-4mm) and large (> 4mm).

Out of 83 cases, 60 had small PDA, moderate PDA in 21 cases while 2 cases had large PDA. All the infants were followed up in the neonatal follow up clinic by the consultant neonatologists with special interest in cardiology. PDA was assigned as closed either by the repeat echocardiogram in the clinic or in presence of entirely normal cardiac examination. No infant went into cardiac failure and none of them required bacterial endocarditis prophylaxis.