NUR 301 EXAM 3 2026/2027 – COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE, PRACTICE
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Cardiac Biomarkers - correct answer ✔✔Creatine kinase (CK) / CK-MB, elevated within a few hours after
injury, returns to normal in 3-4 days
Myoglobin elevated in 1-3 hours after injury, normal in 24 hours
Troponin T and I rises in a few hours, elevated for a few weeks
Lipid Profile - correct answer ✔✔Helps evaluate risk for developing atherosclerosis
BNP - correct answer ✔✔Helps diagnose HF, responds to fluid overload
CRP - correct answer ✔✔C-Reactive Protein, Responds to systemic inflammation
ECG - correct answer ✔✔Records electrical activity of the heart
Stress Testing - correct answer ✔✔Evaluates the response of the cardiovascular system to increased
demands for oxygen
Nursing interventions: Avoid caffeine, tobacco prior to exam, Fast 4 hours prior to exam
Echocardiography - correct answer ✔✔-Noninvasive ultrasound that tests cardiac function
-Simultaneously performed with 12 lead ECG
TEE - correct answer ✔✔-Procedure threading a small transducer through the mouth into the esophagus
-Detects thrombi, valvular heart disease & arrhythmias
-Nursing considerations (NPO 6 hours prior, patent IV, VS, HOB 45 degrees post-procedure, assess
swallowing)
Hypertensive Emergency - correct answer ✔✔BP > 180/120 and must be lowered quickly to halt or
prevent damage to the target organs
•Conditions that may cause hypertensive emergency:
-HTN with pregnancy, MI
•Reduce BP 25%in the 1st hour
•Reduce to 160/100 over 6 hours
•Then gradual reduction to normal over a period of days
•Medications
-Continuous IV infusion of a short-acting titratable antihypertensive agent
-IV Vasodilators (Nitroglycerin)
Hypertensive Urgency - correct answer ✔✔BP is severely elevated but there is no evidence of impending
or progressive target organ damage
•Close monitoring of BP & cardiovascular status
•Assess for potential evidence of target organ damage
•Reduce BP to 160/110 over several hours
•Medications
-Fast-acting oral agents
, -Beta-blockers, ACE Inhibitors
Stages of HTN - correct answer ✔✔•BP of less than 120/80 mm Hg diastolic is considered normal
•BP of 120 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg is defined as prehypertension
•BP of 140/90 mm Hg or higher constitutes hypertension
Metabolic Syndrome - correct answer ✔✔•Occurs when 3 of the following symptoms are present
-BP >130/85
-Insulin resistance
-Dyslipidemia
-Abdominal obesity
•Patient is at risk for cardiovascular disease & DM
Gerontological Considerations of HTN - correct answer ✔✔•50% of people ages 60-69 are affected
•75% of people over 70 are affected
•Aging causes structural & functional changes in the heart & blood vessels
-Atherosclerosis
-Decreased elasticity of the major blood vessels
HTN Meds - correct answer ✔✔
HTN patho - correct answer ✔✔•BP is the product of cardiac output multiplied by peripheral resistance
•Peripheral vascular resistance (PVR) is related to the diameter of the blood vessel and the viscosity of
the blood
•95% of patients have primary hypertension
-High BP from an unidentified cause
•5% of patients have secondary hypertension
-High BP from an identified cause
Lifestyle modifications with HTN - correct answer ✔✔-Smoking cessation
-Weight loss
-Reduced alcohol and
-Reduced sodium intake
-Regular physical activity
Systolic HF - correct answer ✔✔Characterized by a weakened heart muscle, lower EF
Diastolic HF - correct answer ✔✔Characterized by a stiff and noncompliant heart muscle, may have
normal EF
HF Assessment - correct answer ✔✔•Dyspnea
•Cyanosis
•Cachexia
•Tachycardia
•Elevation in jugular venous pressure
•S3 heart sound
•Crackles
•Edema
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Cardiac Biomarkers - correct answer ✔✔Creatine kinase (CK) / CK-MB, elevated within a few hours after
injury, returns to normal in 3-4 days
Myoglobin elevated in 1-3 hours after injury, normal in 24 hours
Troponin T and I rises in a few hours, elevated for a few weeks
Lipid Profile - correct answer ✔✔Helps evaluate risk for developing atherosclerosis
BNP - correct answer ✔✔Helps diagnose HF, responds to fluid overload
CRP - correct answer ✔✔C-Reactive Protein, Responds to systemic inflammation
ECG - correct answer ✔✔Records electrical activity of the heart
Stress Testing - correct answer ✔✔Evaluates the response of the cardiovascular system to increased
demands for oxygen
Nursing interventions: Avoid caffeine, tobacco prior to exam, Fast 4 hours prior to exam
Echocardiography - correct answer ✔✔-Noninvasive ultrasound that tests cardiac function
-Simultaneously performed with 12 lead ECG
TEE - correct answer ✔✔-Procedure threading a small transducer through the mouth into the esophagus
-Detects thrombi, valvular heart disease & arrhythmias
-Nursing considerations (NPO 6 hours prior, patent IV, VS, HOB 45 degrees post-procedure, assess
swallowing)
Hypertensive Emergency - correct answer ✔✔BP > 180/120 and must be lowered quickly to halt or
prevent damage to the target organs
•Conditions that may cause hypertensive emergency:
-HTN with pregnancy, MI
•Reduce BP 25%in the 1st hour
•Reduce to 160/100 over 6 hours
•Then gradual reduction to normal over a period of days
•Medications
-Continuous IV infusion of a short-acting titratable antihypertensive agent
-IV Vasodilators (Nitroglycerin)
Hypertensive Urgency - correct answer ✔✔BP is severely elevated but there is no evidence of impending
or progressive target organ damage
•Close monitoring of BP & cardiovascular status
•Assess for potential evidence of target organ damage
•Reduce BP to 160/110 over several hours
•Medications
-Fast-acting oral agents
, -Beta-blockers, ACE Inhibitors
Stages of HTN - correct answer ✔✔•BP of less than 120/80 mm Hg diastolic is considered normal
•BP of 120 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg is defined as prehypertension
•BP of 140/90 mm Hg or higher constitutes hypertension
Metabolic Syndrome - correct answer ✔✔•Occurs when 3 of the following symptoms are present
-BP >130/85
-Insulin resistance
-Dyslipidemia
-Abdominal obesity
•Patient is at risk for cardiovascular disease & DM
Gerontological Considerations of HTN - correct answer ✔✔•50% of people ages 60-69 are affected
•75% of people over 70 are affected
•Aging causes structural & functional changes in the heart & blood vessels
-Atherosclerosis
-Decreased elasticity of the major blood vessels
HTN Meds - correct answer ✔✔
HTN patho - correct answer ✔✔•BP is the product of cardiac output multiplied by peripheral resistance
•Peripheral vascular resistance (PVR) is related to the diameter of the blood vessel and the viscosity of
the blood
•95% of patients have primary hypertension
-High BP from an unidentified cause
•5% of patients have secondary hypertension
-High BP from an identified cause
Lifestyle modifications with HTN - correct answer ✔✔-Smoking cessation
-Weight loss
-Reduced alcohol and
-Reduced sodium intake
-Regular physical activity
Systolic HF - correct answer ✔✔Characterized by a weakened heart muscle, lower EF
Diastolic HF - correct answer ✔✔Characterized by a stiff and noncompliant heart muscle, may have
normal EF
HF Assessment - correct answer ✔✔•Dyspnea
•Cyanosis
•Cachexia
•Tachycardia
•Elevation in jugular venous pressure
•S3 heart sound
•Crackles
•Edema
