MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING CHAPTER 26 QUESTONS
AND ANSWERS UPDATED. RATED A+.
Chapter 26: Management of Patients With Dysrhythmias andConduction
Problems
1. The nurse is caring for a patient who has had an ECG. The nurse notes that leads I, II, and III differ fromone
another on the cardiac rhythm strip. How should the nurse best respond?
A) Recognize that the view of the electrical current changes in relation to the lead placement.
B) Recognize that the electrophysiological conduction of the heart differs with lead placement.
C) Inform the technician that the ECG equipment has malfunctioned.
D) Inform the physician that the patient is experiencing a new onset of dysrhythmia.
ANSWER: A
RATIONALE:
Each lead offers a different reference point to view the electrical activity of the heart. The lead displaysthe
configuration of electrical activity of the heart. Differences between leads are not necessarily attributable to
equipment malfunction or dysrhythmias.
2. The nurse is analyzing a rhythm strip. What component of the ECG corresponds to the resting state ofthe
patients heart?
A) P wave
B) T wave
C) U wave
D) QRS complex
ANSWER: B
RATIONALE:
The T wave specifically represents ventricular muscle depolarization, also referred to as the resting state.Ventricular
muscle depolarization does not result in the P wave, U wave, or QRS complex.
,3. The nursing educator is presenting a case study of an adult patient who has abnormal ventricular
depolarization. This pathologic change would be most evident in what component of the ECG?
, A) P wave
B) T wave
C) QRS complex
D) U wave
ANSWER: C
RATIONALE:
The QRS complex represents the depolarization of the ventricles and, as such, the electrical activity of that
ventricle.
4. An adult patient with third-degree AV block is admitted to the cardiac care unit and placed oncontinuous
cardiac monitoring. What rhythm characteristic will the ECG most likely show?
A) PP interval and RR interval are irregular.
B) PP interval is equal to RR interval.
C) Fewer QRS complexes than P waves
D) PR interval is constant.
ANSWER: C
RATIONALE:
In third-degree AV block, no atrial impulse is conducted through the AV node into the ventricles. As a result, there
are impulses stimulating the atria and impulses stimulating the ventricles. Therefore, there are more P waves than
QRS complexes due to the difference in the natural pacemaker (nodes) rates of the heart. The other listed ECG
changes are not consistent with this diagnosis.
5. The nurse is writing a plan of care for a patient with a cardiac dysrhythmia. What would be the mostappropriate
goal for the patient?
A) Maintain a resting heart rate below 70 bpm.
B) Maintain adequate control of chest pain.
C) Maintain adequate cardiac output.
AND ANSWERS UPDATED. RATED A+.
Chapter 26: Management of Patients With Dysrhythmias andConduction
Problems
1. The nurse is caring for a patient who has had an ECG. The nurse notes that leads I, II, and III differ fromone
another on the cardiac rhythm strip. How should the nurse best respond?
A) Recognize that the view of the electrical current changes in relation to the lead placement.
B) Recognize that the electrophysiological conduction of the heart differs with lead placement.
C) Inform the technician that the ECG equipment has malfunctioned.
D) Inform the physician that the patient is experiencing a new onset of dysrhythmia.
ANSWER: A
RATIONALE:
Each lead offers a different reference point to view the electrical activity of the heart. The lead displaysthe
configuration of electrical activity of the heart. Differences between leads are not necessarily attributable to
equipment malfunction or dysrhythmias.
2. The nurse is analyzing a rhythm strip. What component of the ECG corresponds to the resting state ofthe
patients heart?
A) P wave
B) T wave
C) U wave
D) QRS complex
ANSWER: B
RATIONALE:
The T wave specifically represents ventricular muscle depolarization, also referred to as the resting state.Ventricular
muscle depolarization does not result in the P wave, U wave, or QRS complex.
,3. The nursing educator is presenting a case study of an adult patient who has abnormal ventricular
depolarization. This pathologic change would be most evident in what component of the ECG?
, A) P wave
B) T wave
C) QRS complex
D) U wave
ANSWER: C
RATIONALE:
The QRS complex represents the depolarization of the ventricles and, as such, the electrical activity of that
ventricle.
4. An adult patient with third-degree AV block is admitted to the cardiac care unit and placed oncontinuous
cardiac monitoring. What rhythm characteristic will the ECG most likely show?
A) PP interval and RR interval are irregular.
B) PP interval is equal to RR interval.
C) Fewer QRS complexes than P waves
D) PR interval is constant.
ANSWER: C
RATIONALE:
In third-degree AV block, no atrial impulse is conducted through the AV node into the ventricles. As a result, there
are impulses stimulating the atria and impulses stimulating the ventricles. Therefore, there are more P waves than
QRS complexes due to the difference in the natural pacemaker (nodes) rates of the heart. The other listed ECG
changes are not consistent with this diagnosis.
5. The nurse is writing a plan of care for a patient with a cardiac dysrhythmia. What would be the mostappropriate
goal for the patient?
A) Maintain a resting heart rate below 70 bpm.
B) Maintain adequate control of chest pain.
C) Maintain adequate cardiac output.
