[Treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants].

A retrospective study is made on the results of the treatment of 38 preterm infants with symptomatic PDA; they represented an incidence of 4% of all the admissions to our Unit from June 1978 to March 1980. 30 of the 38 infants (79%) had PDA associated with RDS. Conservative medical treatment failed in 42% of the patients, requiring the administration of indomethacin for pharmacologic closure of their PDA. The different responses to the drug in each of the established groups are commented, being the group with a birth weight less than 1,500 g who presented the highest percentage of re-openings (62.5%) and of therapeutic failures (50%). An early closure of the PDA can contribute to decrease the morbidity and mortality of these infants, specially those with lower birth weight.