However, these subgroups do not affect how the disease is diagnosed or treated. Treatment
Prostaglandins
If the diagnosis is made prenatally, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) is started after birth to avoid closure of the ductus arteriosus. Prostaglandin therapy is performed via a continuous infusion, due to how quickly prostaglandins are metabolized in the body. However, the diagnosis may go undetected, delaying treatment until closure of the ductus arteriosus produces symptoms. Surgery
Curative treatment consists of open heart surgery soon after birth, preferably immediately after diagnosis. Often, a synthetic patch is used to recreate the lost section of aorta. Recent research has revealed that an initial single-stage repair using direct anastomoses and repair of any existing cardiac defects is the preferred surgical technique, as opposed to a two-stage surgical repair.Awaiting surgery, prostaglandin can be administered to keep the ductus arteriosus open, thereby allowing blood flow to the lower body. After successful treatment, the patient is monitored for the rest of their life by a specialist to ensure that problems do not occur. Prognosis
Failure to treat the condition yields a mortality rate of 90% at a median age of 4 days. Death occurs due to increased blood flow from the left side of the heart (oxygenated blood) to the right side (deoxygenated blood), inducing heart failure; pulmonary edema; and eventual closing of the ductus arteriosus. For an infant with an interrupted aortic arch, a patent (open) ductus arteriosus allows for blood to bypass the "interruption," without which blood will be unable to reach the lower half of the body.
Research directions
While PGE1 is the standard of care for maintaining the ductus arteriosus, there is insufficient data on the proper dose, duration of therapy, safety, and long-term consequences of PGE1 on infants with ductal-dependent congenital heart defects (like interrupted aortic arch). References
Further reading
Collins-Nakai, RL; Dick, M; Parisi-Buckley, L; Fyler, DC; Castaneda, AR (1976). "Interrupted aortic arch in infancy". The Journal of Pediatrics. 88 (6): 959–62. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(76)81049-9. PMID 1271195. == External links ==