Does the risk of infective endarteritis justify routine patent ductus arteriosus closure?
U. Thilén and K. Åström-Olsson Department of cardiology, University of Lund, Universily Hospital Lund, Sweden Received 14 May 1996; accepted 19 May 1996. Correspondence: U. Thilén, MD, Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden Abstract OBJECTIVES: The risk of infective endarteritis in patients with patent ductus arteriosus seems to have declined during the last 30 40 years, and cases of patent ductus arteriosus complicated by infective endarteritis are now very rare. Moreover, with the introduction of antibiotics, there has been a dramatic reduction in mortality from infective endocarditis. Despite these changes, however, the prevention of infective endarteritis has remained the principal indication, apart from haemodynamic reasons, for surgical patent ductus arteriosus closure. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether prevention of infective endarteritis is still a justifiable indication for routine closure in all cases of patent ductus arteriosus. MET
