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. 2024 Jul;96(1):208-215.
doi: 10.1038/s41390-024-03120-8. Epub 2024 Mar 7.

Association between patent ductus arteriosus flow and home oxygen therapy in extremely preterm infants

Jana Termerova  1 , Ales A Kubena  2 , Karel Liska  3 , Viktor Tomek  4 , Richard Plavka  3
Affiliations

Association between patent ductus arteriosus flow and home oxygen therapy in extremely preterm infants

Jana Termerova et al. Pediatr Res. 2024 Jul.

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Central blood flow measurements include the estimation of right and left ventricular output (RVO, LVO), superior vena cava (SVC) flow, and calculated patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) flow. We aimed to provide an overview of the maturation patterns of these values and the relationship between PDA flow and the need for home oxygen therapy.

Methods: This prospective single-center study was conducted in infants born at <26 weeks of gestation. We performed echocardiographic measurements five times during their life (from the 4th post-natal day to the 36th postmenstrual week).

Results: Sixty patients with a mean birth weight of 680 (590, 760) g were included. Postnatal development of LVO and PDA flow peaked at the end of the second postnatal week (427 and 66 mL/kg/min, respectively). The RVO increased between days 4 and 7-8. The SVCF was most stable. The development curves of PDA flow differed between the groups with (n = 28; 47%) and without home oxygen therapy.

Conclusion: We present the central blood flow values and their postnatal development in infants <26 weeks of gestation. This study demonstrates the association between PDA flow and the future need for home oxygen therapy.

Impact: This study enriches our knowledge of the long-term development of central blood flow parameters and derived patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) flow in extremely preterm infants (<26 weeks). While pulmonary resistance decreased, PDA flow continued to increase from day 4 to the end of the second week of life. Similarly, left ventricular output increased as a marker of preload. The superior vena cava flow remained stable. The observed association between PDA flow and an unfavorable respiratory outcome is important for future studies focusing on the prevention of chronic lung disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Flowchart analysis.
Infant enrolment, mortality and proportion of infant with the need for home oxygen after discharge.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Development of central blood flow.
The graph shows a left ventricular output development, b right ventricular output development, c superior vena cava flow development, and d patent ductus arteriosus flow development. Colored bars represent the entire population. Blue line children without need for home oxygen therapy and red line children with future need for home oxygen therapy. LVO left ventricular output, PDA patent ductus arteriosus, PMA postmenstrual age, RVO right ventricular outflow, SVC superior vena cava.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Development of PDA flow in infants with and without need for home oxygen therapy, a general repeated–measures model. Both groups showed the inverted U-shaped dynamics. However, the patterns displayed disparity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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