patent ductus arteriosus
- noun
- /ˈpeɪtnt ˈdʌktəs ɑrˌtɪəriˈoʊsəs/
- Specialized
:
ductus arterioso persistente
- After birth, the patent ductus arteriosus often requires medication or surgery to close.
Examples
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Doctors detected a heart murmur caused by a patent ductus arteriosus during the newborn’s examination.
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An untreated patent ductus arteriosus can lead to serious complications if not managed properly.
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The doctor diagnosed the baby with patent ductus arteriosus.
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Is patent ductus arteriosus common in newborns?
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The doctors explained that patent ductus arteriosus is a condition where a vital blood vessel does not close properly after birth.
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Children with patent ductus arteriosus often experience difficulty breathing due to the increased blood flow to the lungs.
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When left untreated, patent ductus arteriosus can lead to serious complications in a child's heart and lungs.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally analyzable: 'patent' (open) + 'ductus' (duct/channel) + 'arteriosus' (relating to an artery) together point to an 'open arterial duct', so the core idea is derivable from the parts. However, these are Latin/medical roots (and 'arteriosus' is obscure), and the precise clinical sense (a congenital failure to close after birth causing abnormal blood flow) requires specialized knowledge, so a B1 learner would only partially infer the meaning.
Etymology
The name patent ductus arteriosus describes a tiny blood tube that should close after birth. Patent means 'open' and ductus arteriosus is the tube that links two large heart arteries while the baby is in the womb, so if that 'tube' stays 'open' after birth the name means the heart problem where the vessel does not close.
