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The nurse caring for a child diagnosed with a patent ductus arteriosus should base planning on which fact concerning this disorder?

  • A. It involves an opening between the two atria.
  • B. It produces abnormalities in the atrial septum.
  • C. It involves an opening between the two ventricles.
  • D. It involves an artery that connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Patent ductus arteriosus is described as an artery that connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery during fetal life. It generally closes spontaneously within a few hours to several days after birth. It allows abnormal blood flow from the high-pressure aorta to the low-pressure pulmonary artery, resulting in a left-to-right shunt. The remaining options are not characteristics of this cardiac defect.