RN Exam Practice
Pharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesQuestion 1305 of 2368

A neonate with a critical heart defect is waiting for surgery and receives a prostaglandin E1 infusion. What is the purpose of this medication?

  1. To close the ductus arteriosus before surgery
  2. To reduce the heart rate and the workload of the heart
  3. To keep the ductus arteriosus open until surgery can be done
  4. To prevent clots from forming around shunts
Show answer

Correct answer: To keep the ductus arteriosus open until surgery can be done

Some defects depend on the open ductus for blood flow. The infusion relaxes and dilates it as a temporary measure.

Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Congenital Heart Defects: NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDS). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026