children s health issues
Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Diagnosis of Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Echocardiography Doctors often suspect a patent ductus if they hear a certain kind of heart murmur while listening with a stethoscope. A heart murmur is a sound created by turbulent blood flow through narrowed or leaking heart valves or through abnormal heart structures. In older children, the murmur has been described as sounding like a washing machine. In premature infants, the heart murmur may be less distinct. The pulses are often increased in the presence of a patent ductus arteriosus, and the pulse is sometimes described as bounding. Echocardiography and Other Ultrasound Procedures (ultrasonography of the heart) confirms the diagnosis. Electrocardiography (ECG) and 