Persistent fetal circulation is also known as?

Persistent fetal circulation is also known as?

• A. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
• B. Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
• C. Transient tachypnea of the newborn
• D. Meconium aspiration syndrome

Answer: (A)

This focuses on how the newborn’s circulation should change after birth. Normally, after birth the pulmonary vascular resistance drops, lungs fill with air, and blood starts to flow through the lungs for oxygenation. In persistent fetal circulation, that fall in pulmonary resistance doesn’t happen adequately, so the right side of the heart faces high afterload and blood is diverted away from the lungs via a persistent right-to-left flow through the foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus. This shunting keeps blood not oxygenated, causing significant hypoxemia. That’s why this term is synonymous with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. The other conditions listed are different problems: neonatal respiratory distress syndrome is mainly surfactant deficiency; transient tachypnea of the newborn is delayed clearance of lung fluid; meconium aspiration is airway obstruction and chemical irritation. They cause respiratory distress for reasons other than failure of circulatory transition with persistent pulmonary hypertension.

This focuses on how the newborn’s circulation should change after birth. Normally, after birth the pulmonary vascular resistance drops, lungs fill with air, and blood starts to flow through the lungs for oxygenation. In persistent fetal circulation, that fall in pulmonary resistance doesn’t happen adequately, so the right side of the heart faces high afterload and blood is diverted away from the lungs via a persistent right-to-left flow through the foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus. This shunting keeps blood not oxygenated, causing significant hypoxemia.

That’s why this term is synonymous with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. The other conditions listed are different problems: neonatal respiratory distress syndrome is mainly surfactant deficiency; transient tachypnea of the newborn is delayed clearance of lung fluid; meconium aspiration is airway obstruction and chemical irritation. They cause respiratory distress for reasons other than failure of circulatory transition with persistent pulmonary hypertension.