The registered nurse is discussing care of an infant diagnosed with a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with a nursing student. The registered nurse determines that the nursing student needs further teaching regarding a PDA when the student states that which circulatory change is a characteristic of this disorder?

The correct answer is D. In a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), blood is shunted from the aorta to the pulmonary artery, causing extra blood to circulate through the lungs. This means that blood is shunted to the right side of the heart, leading to increased pulmonary blood flow. However, blood is not shunted to the left side of the heart. This is incorrect because the left side of the heart receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and then pumps it out to the body. Shunting blood to the left side would not be a characteristic of PDA and would disrupt the normal circulation pattern. Therefore, option D is the correct answer as it does not accurately describe the circulatory change associated with a patent ductus arteriosus.