Conclusions:
Our results suggest that the current PES could
potentially be used in larger and near-term
infants, but has less than acceptable performance
in low birth weight and premature infants in
determining who should undergo a FFES study
for persistent PDA diagnosis. The low birth
weight and premature infant population is the
group that would likely benefit the most from an
accurate and reliable 5-minute PES scan. Promising
results found in this study with larger and
near-term infants will hopefully be intriguing
enough to manufacturers to encourage development
of an ultrasound system geared toward
neonates of all sizes and gestational ages by integrating
a higher frequency probe into PES
devices. Improvements in the technology along
with developing limited training protocols for
noncardiology personnel should make it possible
for PES scan to be used as a screening tool and as
an extension of physical examination especially
in limited resource settings