Heart and Neck Vessels: Key Concepts and
Assessments EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Ventricles - CORRECT ANSWERS Blood flows from the atria into the ventricles via the
atrioventricular valves.
Chordae Tendineae - CORRECT ANSWERS Collagen fibers that anchor the AV valve flaps to
the papillary muscle within the ventricles.
Semilunar Valves - CORRECT ANSWERS Located at the exit of each ventricle at the beginning
of the great vessels.
Precordium - CORRECT ANSWERS The anterior chest area that overlies the heart and great
vessels.
Flat Neck Veins - CORRECT ANSWERS Describes barely visible neck veins in a client with
dehydration or volume depletion, even when lying flat.
Distended Neck Veins - CORRECT ANSWERS Used to describe engorged neck veins found in
clients with fluid volume overload.
Bruits - CORRECT ANSWERS Higher pitched, more superficial sounds heard only over the
arteries.
Murmurs - CORRECT ANSWERS Sounds originating in the heart or great vessels, usually
louder over the upper precordium.
,Gallops - CORRECT ANSWERS A generic term for additional heart sounds heard besides the
normal S1 and S2 sounds.
Orthopnea - CORRECT ANSWERS A condition where a client has difficulty breathing when
lying flat, often requiring them to sit up with pillows.
Tachypnea - CORRECT ANSWERS An increased respiratory rate.
Sleep Apnea - CORRECT ANSWERS A condition where the client has periods of not breathing
while sleeping.
Pneumonia - CORRECT ANSWERS A condition that does not present as difficulty breathing
when lying flat.
Pericardial Friction Rub - CORRECT ANSWERS Can be differentiated from pleural friction rubs
by having the client hold their breath; if the rub persists, it is pericardial.
Pleural Friction Rub - CORRECT ANSWERS A type of rub that does not persist when the client
holds their breath.
Apical Pulse - CORRECT ANSWERS To palpate an apical pulse, the nurse should place the
fingers at the left midclavicular line at the fifth intercostal space.
Atrioventricular Valves - CORRECT ANSWERS Valves that allow blood to flow from the atria
to the ventricles.
Great Vessels - CORRECT ANSWERS The large arteries and veins that carry blood to and from
the heart.
, Cardiac Assessment - CORRECT ANSWERS An evaluation performed to assess the heart's
function and health.
Client with Dehydration - CORRECT ANSWERS A patient who exhibits barely visible neck
veins, indicating volume depletion.
Difficulty Sleeping - CORRECT ANSWERS A symptom where a client must sit up to breathe,
often associated with heart failure.
Auscultation - CORRECT ANSWERS The act of listening to the internal sounds of the body,
typically using a stethoscope.
Right Side Positioning - CORRECT ANSWERS Turning the client on the right side does not
differentiate between pericardial and pleural friction rubs.
Base of the Heart - CORRECT ANSWERS The area where auscultation can help identify the
presence of a rub.
Point of Maximal Impulse (PMI) - CORRECT ANSWERS Palpated in the mitral area; best
palpated by placing two fingers at the left border of the heart in the 5th intercostal space.
S2 Heart Sound - CORRECT ANSWERS A louder sound heard when listening at the 2nd
intercostal space right sternal border, consistent with the closure of the aortic and pulmonic valves.
Decreased Cardiac Output - CORRECT ANSWERS A condition that may cause fatigue,
particularly worse in the evening or as the day progresses.
Symptoms of Heart Failure - CORRECT ANSWERS Fatigue and nocturia may indicate that the
client is experiencing symptoms of heart failure due to increased renal perfusion during periods of rest.
Assessments EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Ventricles - CORRECT ANSWERS Blood flows from the atria into the ventricles via the
atrioventricular valves.
Chordae Tendineae - CORRECT ANSWERS Collagen fibers that anchor the AV valve flaps to
the papillary muscle within the ventricles.
Semilunar Valves - CORRECT ANSWERS Located at the exit of each ventricle at the beginning
of the great vessels.
Precordium - CORRECT ANSWERS The anterior chest area that overlies the heart and great
vessels.
Flat Neck Veins - CORRECT ANSWERS Describes barely visible neck veins in a client with
dehydration or volume depletion, even when lying flat.
Distended Neck Veins - CORRECT ANSWERS Used to describe engorged neck veins found in
clients with fluid volume overload.
Bruits - CORRECT ANSWERS Higher pitched, more superficial sounds heard only over the
arteries.
Murmurs - CORRECT ANSWERS Sounds originating in the heart or great vessels, usually
louder over the upper precordium.
,Gallops - CORRECT ANSWERS A generic term for additional heart sounds heard besides the
normal S1 and S2 sounds.
Orthopnea - CORRECT ANSWERS A condition where a client has difficulty breathing when
lying flat, often requiring them to sit up with pillows.
Tachypnea - CORRECT ANSWERS An increased respiratory rate.
Sleep Apnea - CORRECT ANSWERS A condition where the client has periods of not breathing
while sleeping.
Pneumonia - CORRECT ANSWERS A condition that does not present as difficulty breathing
when lying flat.
Pericardial Friction Rub - CORRECT ANSWERS Can be differentiated from pleural friction rubs
by having the client hold their breath; if the rub persists, it is pericardial.
Pleural Friction Rub - CORRECT ANSWERS A type of rub that does not persist when the client
holds their breath.
Apical Pulse - CORRECT ANSWERS To palpate an apical pulse, the nurse should place the
fingers at the left midclavicular line at the fifth intercostal space.
Atrioventricular Valves - CORRECT ANSWERS Valves that allow blood to flow from the atria
to the ventricles.
Great Vessels - CORRECT ANSWERS The large arteries and veins that carry blood to and from
the heart.
, Cardiac Assessment - CORRECT ANSWERS An evaluation performed to assess the heart's
function and health.
Client with Dehydration - CORRECT ANSWERS A patient who exhibits barely visible neck
veins, indicating volume depletion.
Difficulty Sleeping - CORRECT ANSWERS A symptom where a client must sit up to breathe,
often associated with heart failure.
Auscultation - CORRECT ANSWERS The act of listening to the internal sounds of the body,
typically using a stethoscope.
Right Side Positioning - CORRECT ANSWERS Turning the client on the right side does not
differentiate between pericardial and pleural friction rubs.
Base of the Heart - CORRECT ANSWERS The area where auscultation can help identify the
presence of a rub.
Point of Maximal Impulse (PMI) - CORRECT ANSWERS Palpated in the mitral area; best
palpated by placing two fingers at the left border of the heart in the 5th intercostal space.
S2 Heart Sound - CORRECT ANSWERS A louder sound heard when listening at the 2nd
intercostal space right sternal border, consistent with the closure of the aortic and pulmonic valves.
Decreased Cardiac Output - CORRECT ANSWERS A condition that may cause fatigue,
particularly worse in the evening or as the day progresses.
Symptoms of Heart Failure - CORRECT ANSWERS Fatigue and nocturia may indicate that the
client is experiencing symptoms of heart failure due to increased renal perfusion during periods of rest.
