[Response to the treatment with indomethacin in persistent ductus arteriosus]. / Respuesta al tratamiento con indometacina en la persistencia del conducto arterioso.

The clinical charts of 46 newborn babies with persistent arterial duct, hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit were reviewed. The diagnosis was made, on the average, after the fifth day of life, finding a precordial murmur in 75%, hyperdynamic precordium in 48%, and outstanding pulses in 22%. Radiologically, cardiomegaly was seen in 50% of the cases, an increase in the flow of the pulmonary artery in 41%, and no abnormalities 35%. Using echocardiography, the left atrium/aorta relation was found to be 1.4 on the average. Of the 25 patients who received indomethacin to close the conducts arteriosum, 21 (84%) responded favorably. The mortality rate was 43%. A comparative study was done between those children who were given the indomethacin and those who weren't, finding a significant difference in favor of those who did receive the medication when seeing the closure of the conduct and their survival rate.