Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How heart blood flow is measured in dogs with patent ductus arteriosus
By Köster, L S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2025·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Echocardiographic description of shunt volume in dogs with patent ductus arteriosus.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs diagnosed with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a heart condition where a blood vessel fails to close properly, were evaluated using echocardiography to measure blood flow and heart function. Many of these dogs showed signs of heart murmurs and had varying degrees of heart enlargement. The study found that dogs with more severe symptoms, like congestive heart failure, had larger blood flow measurements compared to those with less severe cases. Understanding these measurements can help veterinarians assess the severity of PDA and determine the best treatment options for affected dogs.
People also search for: dog heart murmur treatment · patent ductus arteriosus in dogs · congestive heart failure in dogs
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) can have a variable clinical course. The aims of this study were to describe Doppler estimates of shunt volume and their association with clinical and echocardiographic abnormalities. ANIMALS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dogs with a diagnosis of a PDA on echocardiography were included in this study. Signalment, clinical signs, Doppler estimates of shunt volume, and outcome were collected from medical records (June 2020 and 2023) and examined for statistical associations. Groups included hemodynamically insignificant, incidental left-to-right (LR) shunt, left-to-right shunt with congestive heart failure (LCHF), and pulmonary hypertension (PH). RESULTS: Most dogs had standard LR shunts (76%), 4/4 heart murmur (69%), closing Doppler pattern characterized by-continuous LR shunting and high velocity (71%), and a color flow Doppler pattern-extending to the pulmonic valve (51%). Larger left ventricular chambers and normalized color flow Doppler width (CFDw) (P=0.023) were found in clinical as compared to asymptomatic dogs. Transmitral peak E (E), left ventricular outflow tract velocities, and color flow Doppler pixilation percent fill of the main pulmonary artery (CFD%) were correlated with left chamber dimensions. The LCHF group had a larger CFDw than the LR shunt group (P=0.009), which in turn was larger than that of the PH group (P=0.004). The mean CFD% was larger in the LCHF group (P=0.008) than in the LR-shunt group. STUDY LIMITATIONS: The retrospective data collection limited standardization of image acquisition. Applicability is further limited by lack of intra-observer and interobserver variability analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Doppler measures of shunt volume in dogs with PDA include E- and left ventricular outflow tract velocities, CFDw, and CFD%.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41056702/