Long-term outcomes in adults born preterm with symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes in young adults born prematurely with and without symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) during infancy. STUDY DESIGN: Young adults born preterm (≤32 weeks gestation; n = 107) were recruited from the Parkland Health Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Registry and compared based on presence of symptomatic PDA during their NICU stay (n = 23 with PDA), defined as clinical evidence of large left-to-right shunt or congestive heart failure. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure was similar, but the PDA group exhibited higher resting diastolic blood pressure (80 ± 10 versus 74 ± 12 mmHg, p = 0.02). Biventricular systolic function was similar. However, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) velocities at the lateral/septal aspect of the mitral annulus were lower and RV end-diastolic diameter larger in the PDA group. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals born preterm with a symptomatic PDA exhibited elevated diastolic blood pressure, slightly lower diastolic function, and larger right ventricular size in early adulthood.