CARDIOVASCULAR NCLEX STUDY UPDATED
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔A nurse prepares to administer a scheduled dose of digoxin. The nurse finds a new
laboratory report showing a plasma digoxin level of 0.7 ng/mL. What action should the
nurse take?
a. Withhold the drug for an hour and reassess the level.
b. Withhold the drug and notify the prescriber immediately.
c. Administer Digibind to counteract the toxicity.
d. Check the patient's apical pulse, and if it is within a safe range, administer the
digoxin. - ✔✔d. Check the patient's apical pulse, and if it is within a safe range,
administer the digoxin.
✔✔A man asks a nurse why he cannot use digoxin (Lanoxin) for his heart failure,
because both of his parents used it for HF. The nurse will explain that digoxin is not
first-line therapy for which reason?
a. It causes tachycardia and increases the cardiac workload.
b. It does not correct the underlying pathology of heart failure.
c. It has a wide therapeutic range that makes dosing difficult.
d. It may actually shorten the patient's life expectancy. - ✔✔b. It does not correct the
underlying pathology of heart failure.
, Digoxin improves cardiac output, alters electrical effects, and helps to decrease
sympathetic outflow from the central nervous system (CNS) through its neurohormonal
effects; however, it does not alter the underlying pathology of heart failure or prevent
cardiac remodeling. Digoxin causes bradycardia and increases the cardiac workload by
increasing contractility. It has a narrow therapeutic range and many adverse effects.
Digoxin does not improve life expectancy; in women it may actually shorten life
expectancy.
✔✔A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin (Lanoxin) to a patient. The patient's heart
rate is 62 beats per minute, and the blood pressure is 120/60 mm Hg. The last serum
electrolyte value showed a potassium level of 5.2 mEq/L. What will the nurse do?
a. Contact the provider to request an increased dose of digoxin.
b. Give the dose of digoxin and notify the provider of the potassium level.
c. Request an order for a diuretic.
d. Withhold the dose and notify the provider of the heart rate. - ✔✔b. Give the dose of
digoxin and notify the provider of the potassium level.
The patient's serum potassium level is above normal limits, but only slightly. An
elevated potassium level can reduce the effects of digoxin, so there is no risk of toxicity.
There is no indication that an increased dose of digoxin is needed. There is no
indication for a diuretic. The heart rate is acceptable; doses should be withheld if the
heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute.
✔✔A patient with heart failure who has been given digoxin (Lanoxin) daily for a week
complains of nausea. Before giving the next dose, the nurse will:
a. Assess the heart rate (HR) and give the dose if the HR is greater than 60 beats per
minute.
b. Contact the provider to report digoxin toxicity.
c. Request an order for a decreased dose of digoxin.
d. Review the serum electrolyte values and withhold the dose if the potassium level is
greater than 3.5 mEq/L - ✔✔a. Assess the heart rate (HR) and give the dose if the HR
is greater than 60 beats per minute.
Anorexia, nausea, and vomiting are the most common adverse effects of digoxin and
should cause nurses to evaluate for more serious signs of toxicity. If the HR is greater
than 60 beats per minute, the dose may be given. Nausea by itself is not a sign of
toxicity. A decreased dose is not indicated. A serum potassium level less than 3.5
mEq/L is an indication for withholding the dose
✔✔Increases in which of the following would cause the nurse to assess for decreased
blood flow? (Select all that apply.)
a. Blood viscosity
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔A nurse prepares to administer a scheduled dose of digoxin. The nurse finds a new
laboratory report showing a plasma digoxin level of 0.7 ng/mL. What action should the
nurse take?
a. Withhold the drug for an hour and reassess the level.
b. Withhold the drug and notify the prescriber immediately.
c. Administer Digibind to counteract the toxicity.
d. Check the patient's apical pulse, and if it is within a safe range, administer the
digoxin. - ✔✔d. Check the patient's apical pulse, and if it is within a safe range,
administer the digoxin.
✔✔A man asks a nurse why he cannot use digoxin (Lanoxin) for his heart failure,
because both of his parents used it for HF. The nurse will explain that digoxin is not
first-line therapy for which reason?
a. It causes tachycardia and increases the cardiac workload.
b. It does not correct the underlying pathology of heart failure.
c. It has a wide therapeutic range that makes dosing difficult.
d. It may actually shorten the patient's life expectancy. - ✔✔b. It does not correct the
underlying pathology of heart failure.
, Digoxin improves cardiac output, alters electrical effects, and helps to decrease
sympathetic outflow from the central nervous system (CNS) through its neurohormonal
effects; however, it does not alter the underlying pathology of heart failure or prevent
cardiac remodeling. Digoxin causes bradycardia and increases the cardiac workload by
increasing contractility. It has a narrow therapeutic range and many adverse effects.
Digoxin does not improve life expectancy; in women it may actually shorten life
expectancy.
✔✔A nurse is preparing to administer digoxin (Lanoxin) to a patient. The patient's heart
rate is 62 beats per minute, and the blood pressure is 120/60 mm Hg. The last serum
electrolyte value showed a potassium level of 5.2 mEq/L. What will the nurse do?
a. Contact the provider to request an increased dose of digoxin.
b. Give the dose of digoxin and notify the provider of the potassium level.
c. Request an order for a diuretic.
d. Withhold the dose and notify the provider of the heart rate. - ✔✔b. Give the dose of
digoxin and notify the provider of the potassium level.
The patient's serum potassium level is above normal limits, but only slightly. An
elevated potassium level can reduce the effects of digoxin, so there is no risk of toxicity.
There is no indication that an increased dose of digoxin is needed. There is no
indication for a diuretic. The heart rate is acceptable; doses should be withheld if the
heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute.
✔✔A patient with heart failure who has been given digoxin (Lanoxin) daily for a week
complains of nausea. Before giving the next dose, the nurse will:
a. Assess the heart rate (HR) and give the dose if the HR is greater than 60 beats per
minute.
b. Contact the provider to report digoxin toxicity.
c. Request an order for a decreased dose of digoxin.
d. Review the serum electrolyte values and withhold the dose if the potassium level is
greater than 3.5 mEq/L - ✔✔a. Assess the heart rate (HR) and give the dose if the HR
is greater than 60 beats per minute.
Anorexia, nausea, and vomiting are the most common adverse effects of digoxin and
should cause nurses to evaluate for more serious signs of toxicity. If the HR is greater
than 60 beats per minute, the dose may be given. Nausea by itself is not a sign of
toxicity. A decreased dose is not indicated. A serum potassium level less than 3.5
mEq/L is an indication for withholding the dose
✔✔Increases in which of the following would cause the nurse to assess for decreased
blood flow? (Select all that apply.)
a. Blood viscosity
