Effect of patent ductus arteriosus on the heart in preterm infants

Advancement in computational simulation and validation of congenital heart disease: a review

The improvement in congenital heart disease (CHD) treatment and management has increased the life expectancy in infants. However, the long-term efficacy is difficult to assess and thus, computational modelling has been applied for evaluating this. Here, we provide an overview of the applications of computational modelling in CHD based on three categories; CHD involving large blood vessels only, heart chambers only, and CHD that occurs at multiple heart structures. We highlight the advancement of computational simulation of CHD that uses multiscale and multiphysics modelling to ensure a complete representation of the heart and circulation. We provide a brief future direction of computational modelling of CHD such as to include growth and remodelling, detailed conduction system, and occurrence of myocardial infarction. We also proposed validation technique using advanced three-dimensional (3D) printing and particle image velocimetry (PIV) technologies to improve the model accuracy.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus Occlusion in Premature Infants

Transcatheter ductal closure has proven to be safe and effective to occlude the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants. We have developed a robust multidisciplinary PDA program. After gaining experience performing transcatheter ductal closure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, we transitioned to performing the procedure at the patient's bedside in the neonatal intensive care unit using echocardiographic guidance. The bedside approach has the potential to expand this therapy to patients who currently undergo expectant PDA management because of lack of availability of this therapy, and allow for earlier referral, which will reduce time of exposure to this pathologic shunt.

Early echocardiographic pulmonary artery measurements as prognostic indicators in left congenital diaphragmatic hernia

BACKGROUND

To predict whether the left pulmonary artery (LPA) to the main pulmonary artery (MPA) ratio measured by echocardiography in left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) was related to death or need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed neonates with left CDH born between 2018 and 2022 in a single tertiary medical institution. Echocardiography was performed immediately after birth. The diameter of the LPA was measured at the bifurcation, and the diameter of the MPA was measured at the maximal dimension during the systolic phase. The Nakata index, McGoon ratio, and ejection fraction (EF) were analyzed and compared with the LPA: MPA ratio as predictive values.

RESULTS

Seventy-two neonates with left CDH were included, 19 (26.4%) died or needed ECMO, and 53 (73.6%) survived without ECMO. The lower observed/expected lung-to-head ratio, lower EF, lower LPA: MPA ratio, lower RPA: MPA ratio, lower Nakata index, and lower McGoon ratio were associated with death or need for ECMO. By multivariate analysis, lower LPA: MPA ratio, RPA: MPA ratio, and Nakata index were independent postnatal risk factors for death or need for ECMO. Among the measurements, the LPA: MPA ratio had the highest area under the curve (0.957) with a sensitivity of 84.2% and specificity of 96.3% at a cut-off value of 31.2%.

CONCLUSION

In patients with left CDH, the LPA: MPA ratio measured by echocardiography could be used as an independent postnatal predictor of death or need for ECMO.

A Global Perspective on PDA Management in the Extremely Premature: Shifting Trend Toward Transcatheter Closure

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a frequently encountered defect in infants born extremely premature (≤26 weeks' gestation). Historically, closure of the PDA was performed using cyclooxygenase inhibitor medications or by surgical ligations. However, the benefits of PDA closure using these therapies have never been demonstrated, albeit studies have previously not focused on the extremely premature infants. Therefore, there was a worldwide trend toward conservative management of the PDA. With improved survival of extremely premature infants, comorbidities associated with the PDA has increased, resulting in finding alternate treatments such as transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus closure (TCPC) for this population. Currently, there is a renewed interest toward selective treatment of the PDA in this high-risk cohort of small infants. This Comprehensive Review article inspects the globally changing trends in the management of the PDA in premature infants, with a special focus on the rising adoption of TCPC. Moreover, this article compiles data from several neonatal networks worldwide to help understand the problem at hand. Understanding the current management of premature infants and their outcomes is fundamentally essential if pediatric cardiologists are to offer TCPC as a viable therapeutic option for this population. This article aims to serve as a guide for pediatric cardiologists on this topic by compiling the results on landmark clinical trials on PDA management and the controversies that arise from these trials. Comparative outcomes from several countries are presented, including interpretations and opinions of the data from experts globally. This is a step toward coming to a global consensus in PDA management in premature infants.

Delayed Surgical Closure of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus: Does the Brain Pay the Price?

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relation between duration of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), cerebral oxygenation, magnetic resonance imaging-determined brain growth, and 2-year neurodevelopmental outcome in a cohort of infants born preterm whose duct was closed surgically.

STUDY DESIGN

Infants born preterm at <30 weeks of gestational age who underwent surgical ductal closure between 2008 and 2018 (n = 106) were included in this observational study. Near infrared spectroscopy-monitored cerebral oxygen saturation during and up to 24 hours after ductal closure and a Bayley III developmental test at the corrected age of 2 years is the institutional standard of care for this patient group. Infants also had magnetic resonance imaging at term-equivalent age.

RESULTS

In total, 90 infants fulfilled the inclusion criteria (median [range]: 25.9 weeks [24.0-28.9]; 856 g [540-1350]. Days of a PDA ranged from 1 to 41. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that duration of a PDA negatively influenced cerebellar growth and motor and cognitive outcome at 2 years of corrected age.

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged duration of a PDA in this surgical cohort is associated with reduced cerebellar growth and suboptimal neurodevelopmental outcome.

Trend and Outcomes for Surgical Versus Transcatheter Patent Ductus Arteriosus Closure in Neonates and Infants at US Children's Hospitals

Background Pharmacologic therapy for patent ductus arteriosus closure is not consistently successful. Surgical ligation (SL) or transcatheter closure (TC) may be needed. Large multicenter analyses comparing outcomes and resource use between SL and TC are lacking. We hypothesized that patients undergoing TC have improved outcomes compared with SL, including mortality, hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, and mechanical ventilation. Methods and Results Using the 2016 to 2020 Pediatric Health Information System database, characteristics, outcomes, and charges of patients aged <1 year who underwent TC or SL were analyzed. A total of 678 inpatients undergoing TC (n=503) or SL (n=175) were identified. Surgical patients were younger (0.1 versus 0.53 years; P<0.001) and more premature (60% versus 20.3%; P<0.001). Surgical patients had higher mortality (1.7% versus 0%; P=0.02). Using inverse probability of treatment weighting by the propensity score, multivariable-adjusted analyses demonstrated favorable outcomes in TC: intensive care unit admission rates (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.2; 95% CI, 0.11-0.32; P<0.001); mechanical ventilation rates (adjusted OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.19-0.56; P<0.001); and shorter hospital (adjusted coefficient, 2 days shorter; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7; P<0.001) and postoperative (adjusted coefficient, 1.2 days shorter; 95% CI, 0.1-2.3; P=0.039) stays. Overall charges and readmission rates were similar. Among premature neonates and infants, hospital (adjusted difference in medians, 4 days; 95% CI, 1.7-6.3 days; P<0.001) and postoperative stays (adjusted difference in medians, 3 days; 95% CI, 1.1-4.9 days; P=0.002) were longer for SL. Conclusions TC is associated with lower mortality and reduced length of stay compared with SL. Rates of TC continue to increase compared with SL.

Massive Gastric Hemorrhage after Indomethacin Therapy: A Rare Presentation and Critical Management in an Extremely Preterm Infant

Indomethacin has been widely used in preterm infants with hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Gastrointestinal complications of indomethacin have been reported in 5% of treated neonates. However, massive gastric mucosa hemorrhage is a rarely reported complication. To the best of our knowledge, the infant in this report is the smallest reported in the literature to have undergone successful surgery for such a complication. A male preterm infant weighing 566 g was born at 25^2/7 weeks of gestational age without a complicated maternal history. Soon after birth, he received nasal noninvasive respiratory support and minimal feeding. PDA was observed since the first day of life (DOL), treatments were initiated on the second DOL for the hemodynamical significance, and PDA was closed after two courses of indomethacin therapy (0.2 mg/kg). At midnight on the seventh DOL, generalized pallor, bloody gastric drainage, and a distended stomach were observed. Massive gastric bleeding was suspected. He suffered from intermittent hypotension, which was corrected with blood products and fluid resuscitation under monitoring with a radial arterial line. Gastric lavage with cooling saline was performed twice but in vain. Prior to surgical consultation, intravascular volume transfusion was given twice. An exploratory laparotomy was arranged after obtaining the parents' consent. Blood oozing from the gastric mucosa was observed through gastrostomy and was successfully stopped via epinephrine-soaked gauze compression. After the operation, his clinical course remained uneventful, and he was discharged without neurological anomaly at two-year follow-up. Physicians need to be cautious of indomethacin's effect on platelet dysfunction in preterm infants with multiple predisposing factors. The tendency for mucosal bleeding should be continuously monitored after indomethacin therapy.

Acetaminophen Therapy for Persistent Patent Ductus Arteriosus

Persistence of a left-to-right shunt caused by a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) leads to significant sequelae in extremely premature infants as a result of pulmonary overcirculation and systemic steal. Although timing and duration of treatment for a persistent clinically significant PDA differ among institutions, standard pharmacologic interventions are the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs indomethacin and ibuprofen. Acetaminophen has emerged as an alternative to indomethacin and ibuprofen with less significant adverse effects, but there is no consensus regarding its use. This review summarizes the most recent evidence for the use of acetaminophen in PDA treatment.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in an extremely preterm infant

We present a case of an extreme preterm infant (Baby X) born at 24-week gestation. The echocardiogram showed evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). There are a number of well-known causes of neonatal HCM including genetic, metabolic and endocrine. PDA is commonly present in preterm infants, and this can contribute to cardiac remodelling and result in cardiac changes mimicking HCM. Furthermore, medications such as steroids can also cause HCM through various mechanisms. A careful consideration of all the different aetiologies for HCM is important for appropriate management of such cases. This report examines the evidence in the literature for the above differential diagnoses and highlights the challenges in diagnosing the underlying cause of HCM in a preterm infant.

Pulmonary hypertension is an important co-morbidity in developmental lung diseases of infancy: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia and congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) following preterm birth and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) are both forms of developmental lung disease that may result in persistent pulmonary and pulmonary vascular morbidity in childhood. The pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) which accompanies BPD and CDH is due to developmental abnormalities and ongoing perinatal insults. This may be accompanied by evidence of elevated right heart pressures and pulmonary vascular resistance, leading to diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The development of PH in these conditions is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the vulnerable BPD and CDH populations. We present a review of PVD pathogenesis and evaluation in BPD and CDH and discuss management of related sequelae of PH co-morbidity for affected infants.

Management of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Premature Infants in 2020

The patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is the most commonly found cardiac condition in neonates. While there have been several studies and thousands of publications on the topic, the decision to treat the PDA is still strongly debated among cardiologists, surgeons, and neonatologists. This is in part due to the shortage of long-term benefits with the interventions studied. Practice variations still exist within sub-specialties and centers. This article briefly summarizes the history, embryology and histology of the PDA. It also succinctly discusses the hemodynamic significance of a PDA which builds the framework to review all the available literature on PDA closure in premature infants, though not a paradigm shift just yet; it introduces transcatheter PDA closure (TCPC) as a possible armament to the clinician for this age-old problem.

Consensus Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Periprocedural Complications of Transcatheter Patent Ductus Arteriosus Closure with the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants

Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants is a feasible, safe, and an effective alternative to surgical ligation and may be performed with an implant success rate of 97%. Major procedural complications related to transcatheter PDA closure in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants are relatively infrequent (< 3%) ,but may be associated with a fatality if not optimally managed. Operators performing transcatheter PDA closures should be knowledgeable about these potential complications and management options. Prompt recognition and treatment are often necessary to avoid serious consequences. With strict guidelines on operator training, proctoring requirements, and technical refinements, transcatheter PDA closure in ELBW infants can be performed safely with low complication rates. This article summarizes the consensus guidelines put forward by a panel of physicians for the prevention and management of periprocedural complications of transcatheter PDA closure with the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder in ELBW infants.

Pulmonary Hypertension with Prolonged Patency of the Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Infants

There continues to be a reluctance to close the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants. The debate on whether the short-term outcomes translate to a difference in long-term benefits remains. This article intends to review the pulmonary vasculature changes that can occur with a chronic hemodynamically significant PDA in a preterm infant. It also explains the rationale and decision-making involved in a diagnostic cardiac catheterization and transcatheter PDA closure in these preterm infants.