CARDIAC COMPLEX CARE FINAL PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ During the previous few months, a 56-year-old woman felt brief
twinges of chest pain while working in her garden and has had
frequent episodes of indigestion. She comes to the hospital after
experiencing severe anterior chest pain while raking leaves. Her
evaluation confirms a diagnosis of stable angina pectoris. After
stabilization and treatment, the client is discharged from the
hospital. At her follow-up appointment, she is discouraged because
she is experiencing pain with increasing frequency. She states that
she is visiting an invalid friend twice a week and now cannot walk
up the second flight of steps to the friend's apartment without pain.
Which of the following measures that the nurse could suggest would
most likely help the client deal with this problem?
a. Visit her friend earlier in the day.
b. Rest for at least an hour before climbing the stairs.
c. Take a nitroglycerin tablet before climbing the stairs. Answer: c.
Nitroglycerin may be used prophylactically before stressful physical
activities such as stair climbing to help the client remain pain free.
Visiting her friend early in the day would have no impact on
decreasing pain episodes. Resting before or after an activity is not as
likely to help prevent an activity-related pain episode.
,◉ Which of the following symptoms should the nurse teach the
client with unstable angina to report immediately to her physician?
a. A change in the pattern of her pain
b. Pain during sex
c. Pain during an argument with her husband
d. Pain during or after an activity such as lawnmowing. Answer: a.
The client should report a change in the pattern of chest pain. It may
indicate increasing severity of CAD.
◉ The physician refers the client with unstable angina for a cardiac
catherization. The nurse explains to the client that this procedure is
being used in this specific case to:
a. Open and dilate the blocked coronary arteries
b. Assess the extent of arterial blockage
c. Bypass obstructed vessels
d. Assess the functional adequacy of the valves and heart muscle..
Answer: b. Cardiac catherization is done in clients with angina
primarily to assess the extent and severity of the coronary artery
blockage, A decision about medical management, angioplasty, or
coronary artery bypass surgery will be based on the catherization
results.
,◉ As an initial step in treating a client with angina, the physician
prescribes nitroglycerin tablets, 0.3mg given sublingually. This
drug's principle effects are produced by:
a. Antispasmotic effect on the pericardium
b. Causing an increased mycocardial oxygen demand
c. Vasodilation of peripheral vasculature
d. Improved conductivity in the myocardium. Answer: c.
Nitroglycerin produces peripheral vasodilation, which reduces
myocardial oxygen consumption and demand. Vasodilation in
coronary arteries and collateral vessels may also increase blood flow
to the ischemic areas of the heart. Nitroglycerin decreases
myocardial oxygen demand. Nitroglycerin does not have an effect on
pericardial spasticity or conductivity in the myocardium.
◉ The nurse teaches the client with angina about the common
expected side effects of nitroglycerin, including:
a. Headache
b. High blood pressure
c. Shortness of breath
d. Stomach cramps. Answer: a. Because of the widespread
vasodilating effects, nitroglycerin often produces such side effects as
headache, hypotension, and dizziness. The client should lie or ****
, down to avoid fainting. Nitro does not cause shortness of breath or
stomach cramps.
◉ Sublingual nitroglycerin tablets begin to work within 1 to 2
minutes. How should the nurse instruct the client to use the drug
when chest pain occurs?
a. Take one tablet every 2 to 5 minutes until the pain stops.
b. Take one tablet and rest for 10 minutes. Call the physician if pain
persists after 10 minutes.
c. Take one tablet, then an additional tablet every 5 minutes for a
total of 3 tablets. Call the physician if pain persists after three
tablets.
d. Take one tablet. If pain persists after 5 minutes, take two tablets. If
pain still persists 5 minutes later, call the physician.. Answer: c. The
correct protocol for nitroglycerin used involves immediate
administration, with subsequent doses taken at 5-minute intervals
as needed, for a total dose of 3 tablets. Sublingual nitroglycerin
appears in the blood stream within 2 to 3 minutes and is
metabolized within about 10 minutes.
◉ When do coronary arteries primarily receive blood flow?
a. During inspiration
b. During diastolic
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ During the previous few months, a 56-year-old woman felt brief
twinges of chest pain while working in her garden and has had
frequent episodes of indigestion. She comes to the hospital after
experiencing severe anterior chest pain while raking leaves. Her
evaluation confirms a diagnosis of stable angina pectoris. After
stabilization and treatment, the client is discharged from the
hospital. At her follow-up appointment, she is discouraged because
she is experiencing pain with increasing frequency. She states that
she is visiting an invalid friend twice a week and now cannot walk
up the second flight of steps to the friend's apartment without pain.
Which of the following measures that the nurse could suggest would
most likely help the client deal with this problem?
a. Visit her friend earlier in the day.
b. Rest for at least an hour before climbing the stairs.
c. Take a nitroglycerin tablet before climbing the stairs. Answer: c.
Nitroglycerin may be used prophylactically before stressful physical
activities such as stair climbing to help the client remain pain free.
Visiting her friend early in the day would have no impact on
decreasing pain episodes. Resting before or after an activity is not as
likely to help prevent an activity-related pain episode.
,◉ Which of the following symptoms should the nurse teach the
client with unstable angina to report immediately to her physician?
a. A change in the pattern of her pain
b. Pain during sex
c. Pain during an argument with her husband
d. Pain during or after an activity such as lawnmowing. Answer: a.
The client should report a change in the pattern of chest pain. It may
indicate increasing severity of CAD.
◉ The physician refers the client with unstable angina for a cardiac
catherization. The nurse explains to the client that this procedure is
being used in this specific case to:
a. Open and dilate the blocked coronary arteries
b. Assess the extent of arterial blockage
c. Bypass obstructed vessels
d. Assess the functional adequacy of the valves and heart muscle..
Answer: b. Cardiac catherization is done in clients with angina
primarily to assess the extent and severity of the coronary artery
blockage, A decision about medical management, angioplasty, or
coronary artery bypass surgery will be based on the catherization
results.
,◉ As an initial step in treating a client with angina, the physician
prescribes nitroglycerin tablets, 0.3mg given sublingually. This
drug's principle effects are produced by:
a. Antispasmotic effect on the pericardium
b. Causing an increased mycocardial oxygen demand
c. Vasodilation of peripheral vasculature
d. Improved conductivity in the myocardium. Answer: c.
Nitroglycerin produces peripheral vasodilation, which reduces
myocardial oxygen consumption and demand. Vasodilation in
coronary arteries and collateral vessels may also increase blood flow
to the ischemic areas of the heart. Nitroglycerin decreases
myocardial oxygen demand. Nitroglycerin does not have an effect on
pericardial spasticity or conductivity in the myocardium.
◉ The nurse teaches the client with angina about the common
expected side effects of nitroglycerin, including:
a. Headache
b. High blood pressure
c. Shortness of breath
d. Stomach cramps. Answer: a. Because of the widespread
vasodilating effects, nitroglycerin often produces such side effects as
headache, hypotension, and dizziness. The client should lie or ****
, down to avoid fainting. Nitro does not cause shortness of breath or
stomach cramps.
◉ Sublingual nitroglycerin tablets begin to work within 1 to 2
minutes. How should the nurse instruct the client to use the drug
when chest pain occurs?
a. Take one tablet every 2 to 5 minutes until the pain stops.
b. Take one tablet and rest for 10 minutes. Call the physician if pain
persists after 10 minutes.
c. Take one tablet, then an additional tablet every 5 minutes for a
total of 3 tablets. Call the physician if pain persists after three
tablets.
d. Take one tablet. If pain persists after 5 minutes, take two tablets. If
pain still persists 5 minutes later, call the physician.. Answer: c. The
correct protocol for nitroglycerin used involves immediate
administration, with subsequent doses taken at 5-minute intervals
as needed, for a total dose of 3 tablets. Sublingual nitroglycerin
appears in the blood stream within 2 to 3 minutes and is
metabolized within about 10 minutes.
◉ When do coronary arteries primarily receive blood flow?
a. During inspiration
b. During diastolic
