Cardiac exam 1 practice questions and answers well defined answers a+ score.

b. Decreased cardiac output - correct answers 1. A patient who is hemorrhaging has decreased preload. What physiological effects should the nurse expect to occur with this patient? a. Increased afterload b. Decreased cardiac output c. Decreased action potential d. Increased ejection fraction d. "On a scale of zero (no pain) to 10 (worst pain) what number is your pain?" - correct answers The nurse is preparing to assess a patient who is experiencing chest pain. Which question should the nurse asked to learn more information about the intensity of the pain? a. "Did the pain move into your left arm?" b. "Was the pain a pressure, burning, or tightness?" c. "Was your pain relieved by resting or worse when you were busy?" d. "On a scale of zero (no pain) to 10 (worst pain) what number is your pain?" c. Left midclavicular line, fifth intercostal space - correct answers The nurse is preparing to assess a patient's apical impulse. Which anatomical location should the nurse use to make this assessment? a. Right nipple line, any intercostal space b. Left substernal line, sixth intercostal space c. Left midclavicular line, fifth intercostal space d. Right midaxillary line, second intercostal space a. Bradycardia - correct answers The nurse assess a patient's heart rate as being 50 beats per minute. How should the nurse document this finding? a. Bradycardia b. Tachycardia c. Hypotension d. Hypertension a. Fatigue - correct answers A patient's laboratory value indicates a low red blood cell count. What subjective data should the nurse expect to assess that is consistent with this data? a. Fatigue b. Nausea c. Chest pain d. Sore throat b. Excessive bruising - correct answers A patient is being admitted for a low platelet count. Which finding should the nurse expect when conducting a physical assessment of this patient? a. Varicose veins b. Excessive bruising c. Enlarged lymph nodes d. Changes in pulse pressure b. Sunken eyeballs d. Elevated blood pressure - correct answers The nurse determines that an older patient would benefit from interventions to address peripheral vascular resistance. What manifestations did the nurse assess in this patient? SATA a. Joint pain b. Sunken eyeballs c. Distant bowel sounds d. Elevated blood pressure e. Lower extremity fatigue a. Palpate for pulse rate b. Inspect for pulsations c. Auscultate for rhythm - correct answers The nurse is preparing to assess a patient's carotid arteries. Which techniques should the nurse use for this assessment? (Select all that apply) a. Palpate for pulse rate b. Inspect for pulsations c. Auscultate for rhythm d. Percuss for arterial wall density e. Palpate deeply for arterial wall integrity a. Bruit - correct answers During the physical examination of the patient's abdomen, the nurse auscultates a blowing sound over the aorta. How should the nurse document this finding? a. Bruit b. Dysrhythmia c. Bigeminal pulse d. Hypokinetic pulse c. Notify the physician immediately - correct answers A patient has been admitted with severe leg pain. The limb is cyanotic, cool to the touch, and peripheral pulses are absent. What should the nurse do first after this assessment. a. Document the findings b. Teach relaxation techniques c. Notify the physician immediately d. Ask how long the limb has been hurting a. "I should stop smoking to reduce my risk of heart disease." e. "Obesity is a risk factor that I can change to reduce the onset of heart disease." - correct answers The nurse instructs a patient about modifiable risk factors for coronary artery disease. Which statements indicate that teaching has been effective? (Select all that apply) a. "I should stop smoking to reduce my risk of heart disease." b. "Restricting my activity reduces the onset of heart disease." c. "I should drink alcohol because this prevents heart disease." d. "There is not much that can be done to prevent heart disease." e. "Obesity is a risk factor that I can change to reduce the onset of heart disease." c. Promptly report muscle pain or tenderness to the physician - correct answers A patient is prescribed lovastatin (Mevacor) for hyperlipidemia. What should the nurse instruct the patient about this medication? a. Abstain from alcohol use while taking this drug b. Take the drug with meals to minimize gastric distress c. Promptly report muscle pain or tenderness to the physician d. Consume a diet that includes no more than 20& of calories from standard saturated fat c. Correlation between activity level and pain - correct answers The nurse is caring for a patient with stable angina. Which assessment finding would be consistent with this medical diagnosis? a. Persistent ECG changes b. Increasing nocturnal pain c. Correlation between activity level and pain d. Evidence of impaired cardiac output such as weak peripheral pulses d. Ineffective Tissue Perfusion: Cardiopulmonary related to underlying coronary heart disease - correct answers The nurse is caring for a patient with acute coronary syndrome. Which nursing diagnosis should be the priority for this patient? a. Anxiety related to unknown outcome of disorder b. Decreased CardIac Output related to myocardial ischemia c. Ineffective Health Maintenance related to lack of knowledge about coronary heart disease d. Ineffective Tissue Perfusion: Cardiopulmonary related to underlying coronary heart disease b. Maintaining leg extension on the affected side - correct answers The nurse is caring for a patient recovering from a coronary angioplasty with stent placement. Which intervention is a priority for the patient at this time? a. Securing chest tubes to bedding b. Maintaining leg extension on the affected side c. Discontinue intravenous lines when taking oral fluids d. Treating chest pain with intravenous morphine as needed a. Relieve chest pain b. Prevent complications d. Decrease cardiac workload e. Reduce myocardial damage - correct answers The nurse is planning care for a patient with acute myocardial infarction. What goals should the nurse use to guide this patient's care? (Select all that apply) a. Relieve chest pain b. Prevent complications c. Reduce blood viscosity d. Decrease cardiac workload e. Reduce myocardial damage b. Ineffective Protection - correct answers The nurse is determining nursing diagnoses appropriate for a patient scheduled for fibrinolytic therapy. Which nursing diagnosis would be a priority for this patient? a. Anxiety b. Ineffective Protection c. Risk for Powerlessness d. Ineffective Health Maintenance b. Ck 320 UNITS/L - correct answers The nurse is reviewing laboratory results for a patient admitted with acute chest pain. Which laboratory value should cause the nurse the most concern? a. AST 65 units/L b. Ck 320 UNITS/L c. Hematocrit 36% d. APTT 35 seconds c. Prepare for temporary pacemaker insertion - correct answers The nurse recognizes that a patient has developed secondary AV block, type II (Mobitz II). Which action should the nurse take at this time? a. Record the finding in the chart b. Places the patient in Fowler's position c. Prepare for temporary pacemaker insertion d. Administer a Class IB antidysrhythmic drug a. Assess mental status and blood pressure - correct answers The nurse identifies that a patient has sinus bradycardia with a heart rate of 45 bpm. What should the nurse do first? a. Assess mental status and blood pressure b. Prepare to administer intravenous atropine c. Assess peripheral pulses on all four extremities d. Determine if an apical-radial pulse deficit is present a. Ventricular function is severely impaired - correct answers 1. A patient with heart failure has an ejection fraction of 25%. What does this information indicate to the nurse about the patient's health status? a. Ventricular function is severely impaired b. Cardiac output is greater than normal, which overtaxes the heart c. The amount of blood being ejected from the ventricle is within normal limits d. Twenty-five percent of the blood entering the ventricle remains in the ventricle after systole c. The treatment regimen is achieving the desired effect - correct answers A patient admitted 24 hours previously with heart failure has lost 1kg (2.2 lb) of weight, has a heart rate of 88, which was 105 on admission, and now has crackles only in the bases of the lungs. How should the nurse interpret these assessment findings? a. More aggressive treatment is needed b. The patient's condition is unchanged from admission c. The treatment regimen is achieving the desired effect d. No further treatment is required at this time because the failure has resolved. a. Fatigue d. Bilateral inspiratory crackles to midscapulae e. Complaints of shortness of breath with minimal exertion - correct answers A patient is diagnosed with left ventricular failure. Which findings should the nurse recognize as being consistent with this diagnosis? (Select all that apply) a. Fatigue b. Substernal chest pain during exercise c. 5cm jugular vein distention at 30 degrees d. Bilateral inspiratory crackles to midscapulae e. Complaints of shortness of breath with minimal exertion b. Calibrate and level the system by gravity d. Change tubing to the insertion site every 72 hours - correct answers The nurse is caring for a patient undergoing pulmonary artery pressure monitoring. What should the nurse include when caring for this patient? (Select all that apply) a. Maintain flush solution flow by gravity b. Calibrate and level the system by gravity c. Secure the intravenous line to the bed linens d. Change tubing to the insertion site every 72 hours e. Report waveform dampening during wedge pressure measurements a. Administer the drug as ordered, monitoring respiratory status - correct answers A patient experiencing acute pulmonary edema is prescribed morphine sulfate 2 to 5 mg IV as needed for pain and dyspnea. What action should the nurse take with this prescribed medication? a. Administer the drug as ordered, monitoring respiratory status b. Withhold the frug until the patient's respiratory status improves c. Question the order because no time intervals have been specified d. Administer the drug only when the patient complains of chest pain d. Note the finding in the patient's medical record - correct answers The nurse notes a granting heart sound when auscultating the apical pulse of a patient with pericarditis. What should the nurse do with this assessment data? a. Obtain an electrocardiogram b. Initiate resuscitation measures c. Immediately notify the physician d. Note the finding in the patient's medical record d. State the importance of continuing intravenous antibiotic therapy as ordered - correct answers The nurse is planning care for a patient with acute infective endocarditis. What would be an appropriate goal of nursing care for this patient? a. Resume usual activities within 1 week of treatment b. Relate the benign and self-limiting nature of the disease c. Consider cardiac transplantation as a viable treatment option d. State the importance of continuing intravenous antibiotic therapy as ordered d. Diastolic murmur heard at the apex - correct answers The nurse is assessing heart sounds of a patient scheduled for mitral valve replacement surgery. Which sound should the nurse expect to auscultate in this patient? a. Cardiac heave b. Muffled heart sounds c. S3 and s4 heart sounds d. Diastolic murmur heard at the apex c. Clotting is a risk with mechanical valves, necessitating anticoagulant drug therapy after insertion - correct answers A patient considering heart valve replacement asks if a biologic or mechanical valve is better to use. How should the nurse respond to the patient? a. Biologic values tend to be more durable than mechanical valves b. The need to take drugs to prevent rejection of biologic tissue is a major con