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Patent ductus arteriosis (PDA) - series

Indications:

The type and timing of surgical repair depends on the child's condition and the type and severity of heart defects.

In general, symptoms that indicate that surgery is needed are:

difficulty breathing because the lungs are wet, congested, or fluid-filled (congestive heart failure)
problems with heart rate or rhythm (arrhythmias)
excessive work load on heart that interferes with breathing, feeding, or sleeping

Reviewed last on: 12/10/2007
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.; and Mark A Fogel, MD, FACC, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Radiology, Director of Cardiac MR, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

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