Prevention
There is evidence to suggest that giving indomethacin on the first day of life, prophylactically to all preterm infants (less than 37 weeks gestation) reduces the risk of developing a PDA (relative risk 0.29 95% CI 0.22, 0.38) and the complications associated with PDA. There is also a decreased need for surgical intervention to treat PDA in premature infants prophylactically treated with indomethacin (relative risk of 0.51 95%CI 0.37, 0.71). Complications of PDA include intraventricular hemorrhage which can lead to severe brain damage. There is not evidence however to show that giving indomethacin prophylactically improves survival for these infants (RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.81, 1.12). There is also no significant evidence to suggest prophylactic indomethacin decreases long term disability (cerebral palsy, visual impairment, hearing impairment, decreased cognitive performance) rates.
Read more about this topic: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Famous quotes containing the word prevention:
“... if this world were anything near what it should be there would be no more need of a Book Week than there would be a of a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.”
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967)