Contemporary Management Strategies for Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is one of the most prevalent congenital cardiac abnormalities. It is more common in preterm newborns and is inversely correlated with gestational age. Whether to treat PDA remains a subject of considerable debate partly attributable to the limited evidence demonstrating long-term benefits of the interventions studied. In the past, surgical ligations or cyclooxygenase inhibitor medications were used to close the PDA. Transcatheter PDA closure is one alternative treatment for this population because comorbidities linked to the PDA have increased with improved survival of extremely preterm newborns.