1.11 Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

Cardiovascular system review for the USMLE Step 1 exam.

• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart defect where the ductus arteriosus, a connection between the pulmonary artery and aorta, fails to close after birth.
• PDA results in oxygenated blood being shunted into pulmonary circulation, leading to volume overload in the pulmonary circulation and eventually the left side of the heart.
• Symptoms include tachycardia, tachypnea, machine-like constant murmur, bounding pulses, respiratory distress, and pneumonia.
• Treatment options include fluid restriction, supportive care, and pharmacological interventions such as indomethacin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen to reduce prostaglandin production and close the PDA.
• If these interventions don't work, surgical ligation may be performed to close the PDA.
• PDA is so painful to watch, you have to take NSAIDs afterwards.