All issues > Volume 43(10); 2000

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2000;43(10):1318-1322. Published online October 15, 2000.

Effects of Ductal Closure on Flow Velocities of Peripheral Pulmonary Arteries in Normal Term Infants

Hae-Soon HS Kim¹, Se Jeong SJ Sohn¹, Young Mi YM Hong¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: This study was performed to evaluate whether a relationship may exist between transient peripheral pulmonary stenosis and the closure of the ductus arteriosus in term infants.
Methods
: A total of 69 healthy full-term infants had pulmonary artery and ductal color Doppler flow velocity assessment performed at of 10 hours age(group I), 1-2 days of age(group II), and 1-2 weeks of age(group III). We measured the following variables at the main pulmonary artery, the right pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary artery : diameter, flow velocity and velocity- time integral, acceleration time(AT), ejection time(ET).
Results
: Diameters of right and left pulmonary arteries of group III were smaller than that of group I(P<0.01). There was no difference between groups in terms of RPA/LPA diameter ratio. There was significant difference between groups in terms of right and left pulmonary artery peak flow velocities. Right pulmonary artery(RPA)/left pulmonary artery(LPA) peak velocity ratio of group III was lower than that of group I and group II. There were significant differences between groups in terms of the right and left pulmonary artery peak velocity-time integral. RPA/LPA peak velocity-time integral ratio of group III are lower than those of group I. There were significant differences between groups in terms of right and left pulmonary artery acceleration time/ejection time(P<0.05). There were no significant differences between groups in term of RPA/LPA AT/ET ratios. The increase of peak flow velocity % of RPA and LPA in groups II and III is higher than that of group I.
Conclusion
: Ductal constriction could explain increases in left pulmonary arterial flow velocities in full term infants.

Keywords :Arterial duct, Peripheral pulmonary stenosis