Objectives: To study the value of bedside echocardiography in predicting persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus during the early postnatal period in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for 51 VLBW infants who were admitted from March 2020 to June 2021, with an age of ≤3 days and a length of hospital stay of ≥14 days. According to the diameter of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) on days 14 and 28 after birth, the infants were divided into three groups: large PDA group (PDA diameter ≥2 mm), small PDA group (PDA diameter <2 mm), and PDA closure group (PDA diameter =0 mm). The echocardiographic parameters measured at 72 hours after birth were compared among the three groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the value of the echocardiographic parameters in predicting persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus (PDA≥2 mm) at the ages of 14 and 28 days.
Results: On day 14 after birth, there were 17 infants in the large PDA group, 11 in the small PDA group, and 23 in the PDA closure group. On day 28 after birth, there were 14 infants in the large PDA group, 9 in the small PDA group, and 26 in the PDA closure group. There were significant differences in gestational age, birth weight, rate of pulmonary surfactant use, and incidence rate of hypotension among the three groups (P<0.05). PDA diameter, end-diastolic velocity of the left pulmonary artery, left ventricular output, and left ventricular output/superior vena cava flow ratio measured at 72 hours after birth were associated with persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus at the ages of 14 and 28 days (P<0.05), and the ratio of the left atrium to aorta diameter was associated with persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus at the age of 28 days (P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve that the PDA diameter measured at 72 hours after birth predicting the persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus at the ages of 14 and 28 days was the largest (0.841 and 0.927 respectively), followed by end-diastolic velocity of the left pulmonary artery, with the area under the curve of 0.793 and 0.833 respectively.
Conclusions: The indicators obtained by beside echocardiography at 72 hours after birth, especially PDA diameter and end-diastolic velocity of the left pulmonary artery, can predict persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus at the ages of 14 and 28 days in VLBW infants, which provides a basis for the implementation of early targeted treatment strategy for PDA.
目的: 探讨出生早期床旁心脏超声预测极低出生体重儿（very low birth weight infant，VLBWI）动脉导管持续开放的价值。方法: 回顾性选取2020年3月至2021年6月收治的51例VLBWI为研究对象，入院时日龄≤3 d并且住院时间≥14 d。根据出生14 d及28 d动脉导管未闭（patent ductus arteriosus，PDA）直径大小分为3组：大PDA组（PDA直径≥2 mm）、小PDA组（PDA直径<2 mm）和PDA关闭组（PDA直径=0 mm），比较3组间生后72 h的心脏超声参数。采用受试者工作特征（receiver operating characteristic，ROC）曲线评估生后72 h心脏超声参数预测生后14 d和28 d动脉导管持续开放（PDA直径≥2 mm）的价值。结果: 生后14 d时，大PDA组有17例，小PDA组11例，PDA关闭组23例；生后28 d时，大PDA组有14例，小PDA组9例，PDA关闭组26例。3组患儿间胎龄、出生体重、肺泡表面活性物质应用及低血压发生率的比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。生后72 h的PDA直径、左肺动脉舒张末期流速、左心室输出量、左心室输出量/上腔静脉血流与生后14 d及28 d时动脉导管持续开放有关（P<0.05）；左心房/主动脉根部直径与生后28 d时动脉导管持续开放有关（P<0.05）。ROC曲线结果显示，生后72 h PDA直径预测生后14 d及28 d动脉导管持续开放的曲线下面积最大，分别为0.841和0.927；其次是左肺动脉舒张末期流速，其曲线下面积分别为0.793和0.833。结论: 生后72 h的床旁心脏超声指标，尤其是PDA直径及左肺动脉舒张末期流速，可预测VLBWI生后14 d和28 d动脉导管持续开放，为后续PDA早期目标性治疗策略的实施提供依据。.
Keywords: Bedside echocardiography; Patent ductus arteriosus; Preterm infant; Very low birth weight infant.