Dysrhythmias Practice Questions and
Solutions Updated 2024-2025.
You are the nurse working on the telemetry unit and you have finally
gotten to sit down to work on some charting. Suddenly the heart
monitors at the station start beeping. Patient in room 18 is showing this
, Dysrhythmias Practice Questions
rhythm on the monitor. The medical team advances together into the
room and finds them unconscious. What is priority action by the nurse?
A) Prepare to administer adenosine to the patient
B) Begin chest compressions
C) Prepare for defibrillation
D) Check for a pulse - Answer: Answer: D
A pulse would be assessed for first. Then the patient will be defibrillated
and chest compressions will begin immediately.
The patient who has recently been experiencing runs of ventricular
tachycardia suddenly loses consciousness. The patient is defibrillated,
and the rate returns as the following. What should the nurse do first?
A) Begin compressions
B) Shock the client again immediately
C) Prepare for intubation
D) Administer adenosine - Answer: Answer: A
Following defibrillation, CPR is immediately initiated if a perfusable
rhythm is not initiated. The client may need to be shocked again, but
chest compressions must begin first.
, Dysrhythmias Practice Questions
The patient with a history of hypertension and diabetes has the
following rhythm strip. The patient's vitals are as follows: BP 145/89, HR
90, SpO2 95%, RR 19. Which of the following does the nurse expect to
do at this time?
a) Prepare the client for cardioversion STAT
b) Begin administering anticoagulants
c) Grab the crash cart for administration of adenosine
d) Teach the client about possibility of pacemaker installation - Answer:
Answer: B
Atrial flutter places the client at high risk for development of clot
formation in the atria. Because the client is stable at this time,
cardioversion or adenosine would not be performed at this time. Before
cardioversion can occur in a patient, anticoagulant therapy should be
begun at least 48 hours beforehand if possible.
The nurse is preparing to administer adenosine to the patient with the
following rhythm which is symptomatic. What should the nurse plan on
having in the patient room? Select All That Apply:
a) Physician
b) Crash cart
c) IV pump
, Dysrhythmias Practice Questions
d) EKG monitor
e) Lidocaine - Answer: Answer: A, B, and D
Adenosine is administered as a very quick IV push. The physician must
be present in the room and the crash cart must be on hand. An ekg
monitor should be in the room to monitor the effectiveness of the
medication.
The nurse has just administered adenosine via IV push and sees the
following rhythm on the monitor. What is the nurse's priority
intervention?
a) Apply conductive gel and defibrillate the patient
b) Document the findings and continue to monitor
c) Administer another mg of the medication
d) Begin chest compressions - Answer: Answer: B
This finding would be expected upon administration of adenosine. The
rhythm should then begin again in some other rhythm, hopefully
normal sinus rhythm. It would be important to document the exact time
of this change and continue to monitor the change back to NSR. If this
change does not occur, or if another rhythm is produced, appropriate
action would then be taken based on the result.