Preterm infants needing patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation are transferred to a pediatric cardiac center (CC) unless the operation can be done locally by a pediatric surgeon at a non-cardiac center (NCC). We compared infant outcomes after PDA ligation at CC and NCC.
We analyzed 990 preterm infants who had PDA ligation between 2005 and 2009 using the Canadian Neonatal Network database. In-hospital mortality and major morbidities were compared between CC (n=18) and NCC (n=9).
SNAP-II-adjusted mortality rates were similar (CC=8.7% vs NCC=10.7%, P=.32). Significant cranial ultrasound abnormalities (CC=24.1% vs NCC=32.1%, P