Clinical and laboratory observationsThe Effect of a Significant Patent Ductus Arteriosus on Doppler Flow Patterns of Preductal Vessels: An Assessment of the Brachiocephalic Artery

Systemic hypoperfusion secondary to a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is thought to only affect post-ductal vessels. In a prospective observational study of 51 preterm infants, we demonstrated that a persistent PDA by day 5-7 is associated with reversed diastolic flow in the brachiocephalic artery when compared with those without a PDA.