title: Echocardiographic assessment of patent ductus arteriosus in very low birthweight infants over time: prospective observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to determine the echocardiographic parameters that can predict the presence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and haemodynamically significant ductus arteriosus (HSDA) at different time points.
  
  
  METHODS
  Echocardiogram was performed on postnatal days 3 and 7(D3-Echo and D7-Echo, respectively) in 71 very low birthweight infants with a median gestational age of 28.0 weeks. We first assessed the correlation between D3-Echo findings among infants with ductal patency and persistent ductal patency on D7-Echo. We subsequently assessed the correlation between D7-Echo findings and ultimate need for PDA treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-nine (69.0%) infants had ductal patency on D3-Echo, and 32(65.3%) of these had persistent PDA on D7-Echo. Twenty of the latter (62.5%) underwent PDA treatment at a median chronological age of 19 days. PDA treatment was significantly correlated with DA size and DA peak-systolic-to-end-diastolic velocity(S/D) ratio on D3- and D7-Echo. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that DA size ≥2.040 mm and S/D ratio ≥2.016 had fair sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for PDA treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significance of different echocardiographic parameters associated with future ductal patency or HSDA depends on the time of assessment. DA size and S/D ratio on day 7 are two reliable indicators of the need for future PDA treatment.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sook Kyung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yum
authors.affiliation: a Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Cheong-Jun
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: a Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Ah
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.affiliation: b Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: a Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics , College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: In Kyung
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve
keywords: Echocardiography; patent ductus arteriosus; peak systolic to end-diastolic velocity ratio; treatment; very low birthweight infant