B-TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE TO PREDICT DUCTUS INTERVENTION IN INFANTS <28 WEEKS

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is frequent in neonates with gestational age of less than 28 weeks. Clinical and echocardiographic signs define hemodynamic significance of PDA, but do not reveal the need for PDA intervention in the first days of life. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been proposed as a screening tool for PDA in preterm infants. To determine whether BNP can predict the need for PDA intervention, plasma BNP was measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay in 67 preterm infants