Correlation of Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Size and Morphology with Left Ventricular Size and Function: An Echocardiographic Study in Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: One of the most common heart defects that babies are born with is Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). It causes blood to flow from the left side of the heart to the right side, which makes the left ventricle too full. Echocardiography is the best way to look at the shape of a PDA and how it affects the size and function of the left ventricle. Objectives: To determine the relationship between PDA size and morphology and left ventricular size and function through echocardiography in patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study took place at a tertiary care hospital. There were 91 patients in total who were diagnosed with Patent Ductus Arteriosus. All patients underwent echocardiographic evaluation. We wrote down the size, shape (using the Krichenko classification), direction, severity, and flow pattern of the PDA. We measured the left ventricle's LV End-Diastolic Diameter (LVEDd) and Ejection Fraction (EF). We used IBM SPSS version 26 to look at the data.. We used the Spearman correlation, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the Chi-Square test. A P value of less than 0.05 was deemed significant. Results: There were 91 patients, 40 of whom were men (44%) and 51 of whom were women (56%). The average age was 2.02 ± 3.44 years. The average diameter of the PDA was 2.98 ± 1.23 mm, and the average LVEDd was 30.78 ± 9.39 mm. Type A (Conical) was the most common shape for PDAs (45.1%). The most common size of PDA was moderate (2–4 mm), which was 42.9% of the time. The Spearman correlation demonstrated a robust positive correlation between PDA diameter and LVEDd (r=0.651, p<0.001). PDA size,  and shunt severity all had a big impact on LV size (p<0.001). The majority of patients (87.9%) exhibited a normal ejection fraction. The direction of the shunt had a big effect on LV function (p=0.012). Chi-Square analysis indicated a significant correlation between PDA size and EF category (p=0.025). Conclusion: There is a strong link between the size and shape of the PDA and the size of the left ventricle. A bigger PDA is linked to a bigger LV dilatation. LV systolic function is mostly still intact, but it gets worse as the PDA size gets bigger.

Keywords: Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Echocardiography, Left Ventricular Size, Ejection Fraction, Krichenko Classification.