8th March 2024

Investigations

Echocardiography is important to quantify the degree of LA and LV enlargement; pulmonary artery pressure and size, right heart changes and diastolic flow reversal in the descending aorta. Further evaluation of PDA anatomy can be obtained using CMR. Cardiac catheterisation may be performed to measure pulmonary pressures, pulmonary vascular resistance and flow ratio (Qp:Qs). Oximetry sampling can demonstrate an oxygen step-up at the level of the pulmonary artery.