PDA in neonates--Please Doctor Act individually!

Persistent Ductus Arteriosus in Critically Ill Preterm Infants

Introduction

Persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is found with increased incidence in preterm infants, significantly affecting neonatal morbidity and mortality rates.

Aim

To evaluate the association between the presence of PDA and the severity of clinical condition at birth in critically ill preterm infants, with gestational ages (GA) ≤ 32 weeks and severe respiratory distress.

Methods

All preterm infants with GA ≤ 32 weeks admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Clinical County Emergency Hospital, Sibiu between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2015 were included in the study. These were categorized as Group 1 [Preterm infants with PDA; n=154] and Group 2 [Preterm infants without PDA; n=186]. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected in the National Registry for Respiratory Distress Syndrome for all children, and data related to prenatal period, clinical characteristics at birth i.e GA, weight, gender, Apgar scores, and clinical features such as resuscitation at birth, surfactant administration, need and duration of respiratory support, neonatal sepsis, complications associated with prematurity, and death, were analyzed.

Results

Group 1 infants had significantly lower GA and birth weights, were more often out born (p=0.049, HR 1.69), and had significantly lower Apgar scores at 1 and 10 minutes (p=0.022, p=0.000). They presented a significantly higher need for surfactant administration (42.9% vs 24.7%, p<0.0001) and respiratory support (96.8% vs 90.3%, HR 3.19, p=0.019 for need of CPAP and 22.1% vs 10.8%, HR 2.35, p=0.004 for mechanical ventilation). Duration of respiratory support was also significantly higher in the Group 1 (7.6%±7.5 vs. 5.1±3.8 days, p<0.0001 for CPAP and 20.1±22.5 vs. 12.0±15.7 days, p<0.0001 for mechanical ventilation).

Conclusion

In very preterm infants, PDA may be associated with a critical clinical condition leading to serious complications. The presence of PDA after the seventh day of life was associated with an increased need for respiratory support, both CPAP and mechanical ventilation, increased severity of the respiratory distress syndrome, requiring a longer duration of respiratory support, and increased the hospitalization length. In very preterm infants, PDA presence was also associated with a higher rate of severe complications and death, indicating the need for a careful and proper management of these critical cases in neonatal intensive care units.

Ibuprofen Versus Indomethacin for Medical Closure of the Patent Arterial Duct: A Pooled Analysis by Route of Administration

Introduction:

Preterm infants are at increased risk of having a patent arterial duct (PAD). PADs may cause congestive heart failure, respiratory distress, necrotizing enterocolitis, and renal impairment. Consequently, in some infants, it becomes necessary to attempt closure of the PAD. Surgical closure can be difficult in small infants and is not without its risks; thus, medical closure offers advantages. Cyclooxygenase inhibitors have been used for medical closure of the PAD with both ibuprofen and indomethacin having been used clinically.

Methods:

We performed a systematic review of the literature to identify all studies comparing ibuprofen and indomethacin. Studies comparing ibuprofen and indomethacin for closure of the PAD in premature infants were included in the meta-analysis. A subanalysis was performed to compare the route of administration. Efficacy endpoints studied were PAD closure and surgical ligation while adverse effects studied were death in the first month of life, necrotizing enterocolitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, intestinal perforation, bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the first month of life, Grade 3 or 4 intraventricular hemorrhage, and change in the serum creatinine after treatment.

Results:

Ibuprofen and indomethacin were equally effective in closing the PAD in premature infants and demonstrated no difference in the incidence of adverse events. In respect to the route of administration, oral ibuprofen was as effective as intravenous indomethacin. When comparing both drugs via the intravenous route, the only difference noted between the ibuprofen and indomethacin was that ibuprofen was associated with a lesser increase in serum creatinine after treatment.

Conclusion:

Ibuprofen and indomethacin are equally effective in PAD closure without any difference in the incidence of adverse events. Importantly, oral ibuprofen was as effective as intravenous indomethacin.

Patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants: do we have the right answers?

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a common clinical condition in preterm infants. Preterm newborns with PDA are at greater risk for several morbidities, including higher rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), decreased perfusion of vital organs, and mortality. Therefore, cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors and surgical interventions for ligation of PDA are widely used. However, these interventions were reported to be associated with side effects. In the absence of clear restricted rules for application of these interventions, different strategies are adopted by neonatologists. Three different approaches have been investigated including prophylactic treatment shortly after birth irrespective of the state of PDA, presymptomatic treatment using echocardiography at variable postnatal ages to select infants for treatment prior to the duct becoming clinically significant, and symptomatic treatment once PDA becomes clinically apparent or hemodynamically significant. Future appropriately designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to refine selection of patients for medical and surgical treatments should be conducted. Waiting for new evidence, it seems wise to employ available clinical and echocardiographic parameters of a hemodynamically significant (HS) PDA to select patients who are candidates for medical treatment. Surgical ligation of PDA could be used as a back-up tool for those patients who failed medical treatment and continued to have hemodynamic compromise.