TeachableMedicalNews article 02262021
Teachable moment in classrooms:
- heart chapter – aorta and pulmonary trunk around the heart
- blood vessel anatomy chapter – blood vessels at the start of the pulmonary and systemic circulations
- blood vessel anatomy chapter – modified blood circulations in the fetus
- respiratory system chapter – blood vessel carrying blood to and from lungs
The news item: the following report was published recently,
FDA approves new closure device for heart defect in premature babies
One out of 10 of all babies are born premature.
The article states that every year about 12,000 very low birthweight premature babies develop a disorder called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and that the Amplatzer Piccolo Occluder device seals an opening between two blood vessels.
So, Why Do I Care?? As the article stated 12,000 prematurely born low birthweight babies can be helped by this device. Imagine a tiny newborn whose lungs are not working properly, because not enough blood flows to the lungs. Such respiratory distress is life threatening, so a new device can give those newborns a much better chance for survival.
Plain English, Please!!!
First, let’s talk about what the ductus arteriosus is. The ductus arteriosus is a quarter-inch long blood vessel that connects the aorta and the pulmonary trunk near the heart. Imagine that the pulmonary