Background
Heart failure may occur in premature children due to the common disease known as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The likelihood of the ductus arteriosus spontaneously closing is much lower in preterm infants. Depending on the ductal resistance and the state of the pulmonary vasculature, the amount of shunting determines the hemodynamic repercussions and clinical symptoms of a PDA. The total size, shape, and suppleness of the ductus determine its flow resistance. Over sending the pulmonary circulation and the left ventricle due to aortic-pulmonary pressure gradient-induced left-to-right shunting via the ductus. Multiple factors, including a genetic predisposition and an environmental trigger that happens at a vulnerable moment, are thought to contribute to the apparently random nature of most PDA instances. The neuroendocrine system also undergoes changes, leading to a rise in cardiac contractility and catecholamine levels in the blood. Increased vascular resistance develops as a consequence of structural changes in the pulmonary vasculature brought about by prolonged exposure to elevated pressure. When the systemic circulation's resistance is higher than the pulmonary vascular resistance, the duct's flow direction changes from left to right. Even in asymptomatic individuals, untreated PDA may lead to serious complications, especially when combined with the accumulated physiological insult caused by chronic pneumonia. |
