RN Exam Practice
Pharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesQuestion 1310 of 2368

Why are calcium channel blockers generally avoided in infants with heart failure?

  1. They raise afterload and cause the ventricles to enlarge over time in infants
  2. They increase sodium retention and worsen the fluid overload in the infant's lungs
  3. They constrict the ductus arteriosus and cause hypoxia in the infant's tissues
  4. They have a negative inotropic effect that lowers cardiac output in a weakened heart
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Correct answer: They have a negative inotropic effect that lowers cardiac output in a weakened heart

These drugs reduce the force of contraction. A failing infant heart cannot tolerate less output.

Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Congenital Heart Defects: CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026