Study Reviews Treatment Options for Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Closure in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

A research study, “Transcatheter and Surgical Ductus Arteriosus Closure in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: 2018-2022,” compares survival rates and selected short-term outcomes in treatments for premature infants who have a congenital heart condition. The study, published in the August 2024 Pediatrics (published online July 15), examines both invasive surgical and catheterization treatment options for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a condition where a connection between the two major blood vessels leaving the heart—that is normally present during pregnancy—fails to close after birth. Researchers examined Vermont Oxford Network data from 726 U.S. hospitals and 216,267 infants with very low birth weights, finding 41,976 (19.4%) infants who received any patent ductus arteriosus treatment over the entire study period. Those who underwent transcatheter closure had slightly increased survival rates compared with those who had more invasive closure by surgery. Researchers noted an increase in the use of transcatheter devices between 2018 and 2022, associated with federal approval of a new device. A transcatheter closure is a treatment in which a soft, wire mesh closure device is threaded through a long narrow tube to stop blood flow in patent ductus arteriosus. The authors suggest more research is needed to focus on patient selection criteria, complications associated with transcatheter device use, variations in management across different types of healthcare facilities, value-based care models, and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.