What are the methods for diagnosing patent ductus arteriosus?

What methods are involved in diagnosing patent ductus arteriosus? Patent ductus arteriosus is one of the common types of congenital heart disease in children. The occurrence of the disease poses a great threat to the health of children. Therefore, early diagnosis and early treatment are necessary. So, what methods are involved in diagnosing patent ductus arteriosus? Let's learn about it together.

The ductus arteriosus is a physiological blood flow channel between the pulmonary artery and the aorta during the fetal period, which adapts to the special circulation state of the fetus without lung breathing. There are many left-to-right shunt intracardiac malformations that can hear the same continuous machine-like murmur or nearly continuous biphasic heart murmur at the left edge of the sternum, which is difficult to identify. It must be identified before establishing a diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus and conducting treatment.

1. Physical examination: A fine systolic thrill can be felt at the second intercostal space on the left side of the sternum, which can extend to the diastolic period. Auscultation of this area can produce a continuous mechanical murmur that is transmitted to the left subclavian fossa. The pulse pressure difference is widened, and there may be capillary pulsation, water pulse, and gunshot sound in the limb arteries.

2. Auxiliary examination:

Electrocardiogram: Those with a small shunt volume may have normal or left ventricular high voltage. Those with a large shunt volume may have left ventricular hypertrophy. Those with pulmonary hypertension may have biventricular hypertrophy or right ventricular hypertrophy.

X-ray: The texture of both lungs increases and thickens, the heart shadow may be enlarged to varying degrees, the aortic node is widened and has a funnel sign. The pulmonary artery segment is straight or bulging.

B-mode ultrasound: A tubular connection can be seen between the descending aorta and the pulmonary artery, and Doppler shows that blood is shunted from the aorta to the pulmonary artery.

Right cardiac catheterization: Increased blood oxygen at the pulmonary artery level can be seen, and pulmonary artery pressure can be directly measured. Sometimes the catheter can be passed from the pulmonary artery to the descending aorta through the ductus arteriosus.

Ascending aortography: When the descending aorta is visualized, the pulmonary artery and the ductus arteriosus can be seen at the same time.