A child is born with a hole in his heart between the left and right ventricles. This condition must be immediately corrected with surgery because the hole ________.
A) will cause the flow of blood to reverse in the heart
B) will allow blood to leak out of the heart and the child could bleed to death
C) will cause blood to flow in the reverse direction back into veins instead of the arteries
D) allows mixing of both oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, which reduces oxygen delivery to tissues

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hole in the heart between the left and right ventricles allows for the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, which reduces the amount of oxygen delivered to the child's tissues. Therefore, it must be immediately corrected with surgery. Options A, B, and C are incorrect because they describe different conditions that are not associated with a hole in the heart between the left and right ventricles.

A Child Is Born with a Hole in His Heart