Percutaneous Closure of Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Babies: The Initial Brazilian Experience

Abstract Background The presence of patent ductus arteriosus can be as high as 50% in preterm babies. Hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus is a common cause of delayed weaning of respiratory support and an important risk factor of necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in this population. Objective The aim of this study is to describe an initial experience of percutaneous closure of the ductus arteriosus in preterm infants weighing less than 2 kg. Methods This was a prospective study, comprised of 14 consecutive patients submitted to percutaneous closure of ductus arteriosus between March 2020 and February 2021 in 6 institutions in Brazil. Results Mean gestational age was 28.45±3.14 weeks, mean age at the procedure was 38.85±17.35 days and mean weight was 1.41 ±0.41 kg; 79% of the patients were under mechanical ventilation, and 79% had been submitted, on average, to a 1.5 cycle of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Most patients were weaned off of mechanical ventilation in a mean of 12.6 ±7.24 days after the procedure. Success rate was 100%. No procedure-related mortality was observed. Conclusion This study concluded that percutaneous closure of ductus arteriosus in premature babies below 2 kg has satisfactory results and a low complication rate in this study sample.