What should I look for in post-operative care for a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)?

  I. Routine postoperative care according to normothermic general anesthesia.  Second, the general principles: 1. Postoperative blood or plasma and other colloidal products are generally not transfused. Because this surgery generally does not lose much blood, and the volume of circulating blood increases after the catheter is closed, there is often a temporary increase in blood pressure in the early postoperative period. In order to prevent the blood volume from increasing after the input of colloid, the blood pressure further rises, so without special circumstances, postoperative transfusion of blood or plasma is generally not advocated.  2. No potassium supplementation in the early postoperative period III. Respiratory care: 1. Postoperative ventilator-assisted time of 1~2 hours, after the patient is fully awake, the tracheal intubation can be removed and replaced by oxygen absorption with nebulized oxygen by mouthpiece. However, when combined with pulmonary hypertension and postoperative hypertension will be unsatisfactory, the ventilator-assisted time should be extended.  2. When the tracheal intubation is removed, turn the patient every 2 hours and cooperate with effective chest body therapy, encourage the patient to breathe deeply and cough up sputum to prevent the appearance of pulmonary atelectasis.  IV. Observation of blood pressure: Due to the increase of blood volume in the body circulation after the arterial catheter is closed, the neurological reflex of arterial pressure and volume receptors to hemodynamic changes, the reflex of postoperative pain and the excessive amount of postoperative fluid infusion, hypertension often occurs after surgery. If hypertension is not effectively controlled, hypertensive encephalopathy, visual impairment, left heart failure and renal damage will likely occur. Therefore, postoperative blood pressure should be maintained at a normal or low level.  1. Closely observe the change of blood pressure. Apply sodium nitroprusside 2~7μg/K/min with a micropump if blood pressure is increased. The following points should be noted when infusing sodium nitroprusside: (1) In the process of configuring the drug solution, three checks and seven corrections should be made strictly, and labels should be used to indicate the patient’s name, bed number, drug name, concentration and applied dose, etc. to prevent errors and accidents.  (2) Although the infusion pump has an alarm device, it cannot detect the leakage of liquid from the pipeline and the input of liquid under the skin, so when using it, it is still necessary to be very careful and frequently check whether there is extravasation in the micro-pump area.  (3) Apply sodium nitroprusside, adjust the speed of the micropump according to the blood pressure, and replace it quickly and accurately to avoid blood pressure fluctuations caused by improper replacement (4) Apply sodium nitroprusside, the dose should be gradually increased to avoid blood pressure fluctuations that may cause bleeding from the anastomosis, or bleeding from rupture of the catheter break. Gradually reduce after blood pressure stabilization, and monitor the level of cyanide in blood for a long time application to prevent poisoning.  2. Mildly high blood pressure after surgery may not be pretreated, or sedatives, analgesics, diuretics may be given.  3.Postoperative patients with severe pulmonary hypertension can be sedated continuously to prevent pulmonary hypertensive crisis.  4.Patients after extubation can start oral mercaptomethoprim on the first postoperative day, which must be administered after discontinuing sodium nitroprusside to avoid sudden drop of blood pressure when the synergistic effect of drugs.  E. Observation of chest drainage fluid: intermittently squeeze the drainage tube, pay attention to the nature and amount of drainage fluid (squeeze the drainage tube while noting the outflow rate, color, temperature, etc.). If the drainage fluid flow rate is fast, the wall of the tube is hot, if the drainage flow continues for 2 hours per hour > 24ml/kg/h, should promptly report the lifetime, and actively prepare the second open chest to stop bleeding.  Sixth, the observation of laryngeal nerve injury: after removal of the trachea, ask the patient to vocalize, if there is hoarseness, choking cough and other symptoms of laryngeal nerve injury, you can give hormone (dexamethasone) treatment for 3 days. At the same time, apply VitB1, VitB12, glutamate and other nerve-nourishing drugs. Special attention should be paid to diet to prevent aspiration and secondary lung infection when the patient drinks water. Plain food or sticky food such as rice paste and lotus root powder should be eaten.  VII. Observation of celiac disease: If the thoracic duct is damaged during surgery, celiac disease may appear 2~3 days after surgery. A chest drain should be placed, fasted, and supplemented with glucose solution. A low-fat, high-protein diet can be given gradually as drainage fluid decreases. If conservative treatment is ineffective, the thoracic duct should be surgically ligated.