Patent Ductus Arteriosus Questions And Answers NCLEX Exam 2022

1. You’re caring for a 2-day-old infant with a large patent ductus arteriosus. The mother of the infant is anxious and asks you to explain her child’s condition to her again. Which statement below BEST describes this condition? A. “The vessel connecting the aorta and pulmonary vein has closed prematurely, which is leading to increased blood flow to the lungs.” B. “The vessel connecting the aorta and pulmonary artery has failed to close at birth, which is leading to a left-to-right shunt of blood.” C. The vessel connecting the aorta and pulmonary vein has failed to close at birth, which is leading to a right-to-left shunt of blood.” D. “The vessel connecting the aorta and pulmonary artery has closed prematurely, which is leading to a left-to-right shunt of blood.” The answer is B. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) occurs when the vessel that normally connects the aorta and pulmonary artery in utero has failed to close at birth, which leads to a left-to-right shunting of blood. This shunting of blood will increase blood flow to the lungs and can cause pulmonary hypertension and eventually heart failure (left-sided), especially if the PDA is large. 2. As the nurse you know which statements below are correct about the ductus arteriosus? Select all that apply: A. “The ductus arteriosus is a structure that should be present in all babies in utero.” B. “The ductus arteriosus normally closes about 3 days after birth or sooner.” C. “The purpose of the ductus arteriosus is to help carry blood that is entering the left side of the heart to the rest of the body, hence bypassing the lungs.” D. “The ductus arteriosus connects the aorta to the pulmonary vein.” The answers are A and B. These are correct statements about the ductus arteriosus. Option A is correct because every newborn should have this structure, but it will close shortly after birth. Option C is wrong because the purpose of this structure is to help carry blood that is entering the RIGHT side (not left) of the heart to the rest of the body, hence bypassing the lungs. Option D is wrong because this structure connects the aorta to the pulmonary ARTERY (not vein).