The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 71, 187-194, Copyright © 1976 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants. Indications for surgery
EA Rittenhouse, DB Doty, RM Lauer and JL Ehrenhaft
In order to establish more objective criteria for surgical intervention,
the literature and our clinical experience with operative closure of patent
ductus arteriosus in 11 premature infants was reviewed. A wide range of age
at the time of operation underscored the spectrum of clinical presentation
and the difficulty of interpreting the course of therapy. The presence of a
typical continuous murmur established the diagnosis of patent ductus
arteriosus in patients with respiratory distress syndrome. Cardiac
catheterization confirmed the diagnosis and provided quantitation of the
left-to-right shunt flow through the ductus arteriosus in 6 patients but
did not influence the decision to operate. Progress of the clinical course
as determined by the heart size on chest roentgenogram and the presence of
hypercarbia (Paco2greater than60 mm. Hg) after respiratory assistance and
medical decongestive measures were the two most helpful signs indicating
the need for surgical intervention.