A nurse is assessing an infant who has patent ductus arteriosus. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

A. Decreased heart rate: Infants with patent ductus arteriosus often experience increased cardiac workload due to left-to-right shunting. This typically leads to tachycardia rather than a decreased heart rate as the heart compensates to maintain adequate cardiac output. B. Increased temperature: Patent ductus arteriosus is a cardiac condition and does not directly cause fever. An elevated temperature would more likely indicate infection or another inflammatory process rather than a hemodynamic effect of the defect. C. Increased respiratory rate: Left-to-right shunting in patent ductus arteriosus increases pulmonary blood flow, leading to pulmonary congestion and respiratory distress. This commonly presents as tachypnea, especially during feeding or activity, making an increased respiratory rate an expected finding. D. Decreased systolic blood pressure: Infants with PDA more commonly have widened pulse pressure due to diastolic runoff into the pulmonary circulation. A decreased systolic blood pressure is not a typical or expected assessment finding in this condition.