Which medication is used to pharmacologically close a patent ductus arteriosus?

Study for the PANCE Cardiology Test. Enhance your knowledge with comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question comes with hints and detailed explanations. Prepare thoroughly for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which medication is used to pharmacologically close a patent ductus arteriosus?

Explanation:
Closing a patent ductus arteriosus relies on reducing the prostaglandin signal that keeps the ductus open after birth. Indomethacin is an NSAID that inhibits cyclooxygenase, lowering prostaglandin E2 levels and causing the ductus arteriosus to constrict and close. This makes it the go-to pharmacologic option for PDA closure, especially in preterm infants. Other drugs listed have different primary uses and do not promote ductal closure: for example, lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor used for blood pressure or heart failure, furosemide is a diuretic that can influence prostaglandin pathways in ways that don’t close the ductus, and propranolol has no role in closing a PDA.

Closing a patent ductus arteriosus relies on reducing the prostaglandin signal that keeps the ductus open after birth. Indomethacin is an NSAID that inhibits cyclooxygenase, lowering prostaglandin E2 levels and causing the ductus arteriosus to constrict and close. This makes it the go-to pharmacologic option for PDA closure, especially in preterm infants. Other drugs listed have different primary uses and do not promote ductal closure: for example, lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor used for blood pressure or heart failure, furosemide is a diuretic that can influence prostaglandin pathways in ways that don’t close the ductus, and propranolol has no role in closing a PDA.

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