AACN PCCN Review: Heart Failure
Questions and Answers 2025
AnatomyAofAtheAHeartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-VenaACavaA-ARightAAtruimA-ATricuspidA-
APulmnaryAArtertyA-APulmAVeinA-ALeftAATriumA-AMitralA-ALeftAVentricleA-AAorta
AnatomyAofAtheAHeartADiagramA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
Non-modifiableArishAfactorsA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Age
Gender
FamilyAHistory
Race
ModifiableARiskAFactorsA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Smoking
Hypertension
Diabetes
Obesity
Stress
Exercise
Hyperlipidemia
CardiacAPhysicalAExamA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
Color,Apulses,ARateAandARhythm,APMIALocation,AExtremityAtemperature,Adyspnea,Afatigue
Alevel,AfluidAretention,Apalpitations,Adizziness
ChestAPainAExamA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-PQRSTAAssessment
P:APain,Aplacement,Aprovocation
Q:AQualityAandAQuantity
R:ARadiation,ARelief
S:ASeverity,ASystemsA(nausea,Asweaty,Adizziness)
T:ATimingA(whenAdidAitAstart,AhowAlong,Aect)
CardiacAAssessmentAHemodynamicAStabilityA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
VitalAsigns,AOrthoAVitals,ABreathASounds,AWorkAofABreathing,ALOC,ANoninvasiveAcardiacA
outputAmonitoring
CardiacAAssessmentA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-12Alead
Echo
StresstATest
CardiacACath
DopplerAUltrasound
BloodAwork:ACardiacAenzymesA(CK-
MB),AAminoAacidsA(troponins),AHemeAProteinsA(Myoglobin),ALipids,ACoags,ABNP,ACAReact
iveAProtein,AHomocysteine
CardiacAOutputA=A-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
CardiacAOutA=AHeartARateAXAStrokeAvolume.A(TheAamountAofAbloodAleavingAtheAheartAinAo
verAaAminute.A)
CardiacAOutputAisAbasicallyA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
TheAamountAofAbloodAleavingAtheAheartAoverAaAminute.
, StrokeAvolumeA(ml/beat)AisAdeterminedAbyA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
StrokeAVolumeA=ApreloadA+AafterAloadA+Acontractility
PreloadA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
TheAStretchAonAtheAventriclesA=ATheAvolumeAofAbloodAcreatingAaAstretchAonAtheAmuscularA
chamberAatAtheAendAofAdiastole.
PreloadADeterminedAbyA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
TheAamountAofAvolumeAinAtheApatient'sAbodyAandAwhereAisAthatAvolumeA(septicApatientsAha
veAvolumeAinAperipheryAandAnotAinAtheAheartAsoAaAdecreaseAinApreload).AIfAaApatientAhasAa
nAinfarctAwithApoorAventricleAstrengthAandAthereAwouldAbeAanAincreaseAinApreloadAasAitsAnot
AleavingAtheAheart
DecreasesAinApreloadA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Hypovolemia
Arrhythmia
LossAofAAtrialAKick
VenousAVasodilation
IncreasesAinAPreloadAofALeftAHeartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-LVAFailure
MitralAValveAdisease
AorticAvalveAdisease
CardiacAtamponadeAorAEffusion
VolumeAoverload
decreasedAcompliance
IncreasesAinAPreloadAofARightAHeartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
RVAFailureAdueAtoAischemia
IncreasedApulmonaryAvascularAresistance
cardiacAtamponadeAorAeffusion
volumeAoverload
LVAfailure
AfterAloadAdefinitionA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
TheAresistanceAtheAventriclesAmustAovercomeAtoAejectAtheAbloodAtoAtheAnextAcompartment
AfterloadAofAleftAventricleA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
AortaAandAsystemicAvascularAresistance
AfterloadAforARightAVentricleA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-PulmonaryAvascularAresistance
DecreasesAinAAfterloadA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Vasodilation
Sepsis
VasodilatorATherapies
IncreasesAinAAfterloadAofAtheArightAheartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
PulmonaryAHypertension
Hypoxemia
PulmonicAStenosis
IncreasesAinAAfterloadAofALeftAheartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Vasoconstriction
Vasopressors
Hypothermia
AorticAStenosis
ContractilityADefinitionA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-TheAelasticityAofAtheAcardiacAmusclesA-
AhowAmuchAcanAtheAheartAmuscleAfibersAexpand
DecreasedAContractilityA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-ParasympatheticAStimulation
NegativeAIonotropicATherapiesA(BB,ACCB)
Questions and Answers 2025
AnatomyAofAtheAHeartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-VenaACavaA-ARightAAtruimA-ATricuspidA-
APulmnaryAArtertyA-APulmAVeinA-ALeftAATriumA-AMitralA-ALeftAVentricleA-AAorta
AnatomyAofAtheAHeartADiagramA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
Non-modifiableArishAfactorsA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Age
Gender
FamilyAHistory
Race
ModifiableARiskAFactorsA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Smoking
Hypertension
Diabetes
Obesity
Stress
Exercise
Hyperlipidemia
CardiacAPhysicalAExamA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
Color,Apulses,ARateAandARhythm,APMIALocation,AExtremityAtemperature,Adyspnea,Afatigue
Alevel,AfluidAretention,Apalpitations,Adizziness
ChestAPainAExamA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-PQRSTAAssessment
P:APain,Aplacement,Aprovocation
Q:AQualityAandAQuantity
R:ARadiation,ARelief
S:ASeverity,ASystemsA(nausea,Asweaty,Adizziness)
T:ATimingA(whenAdidAitAstart,AhowAlong,Aect)
CardiacAAssessmentAHemodynamicAStabilityA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
VitalAsigns,AOrthoAVitals,ABreathASounds,AWorkAofABreathing,ALOC,ANoninvasiveAcardiacA
outputAmonitoring
CardiacAAssessmentA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-12Alead
Echo
StresstATest
CardiacACath
DopplerAUltrasound
BloodAwork:ACardiacAenzymesA(CK-
MB),AAminoAacidsA(troponins),AHemeAProteinsA(Myoglobin),ALipids,ACoags,ABNP,ACAReact
iveAProtein,AHomocysteine
CardiacAOutputA=A-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
CardiacAOutA=AHeartARateAXAStrokeAvolume.A(TheAamountAofAbloodAleavingAtheAheartAinAo
verAaAminute.A)
CardiacAOutputAisAbasicallyA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
TheAamountAofAbloodAleavingAtheAheartAoverAaAminute.
, StrokeAvolumeA(ml/beat)AisAdeterminedAbyA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
StrokeAVolumeA=ApreloadA+AafterAloadA+Acontractility
PreloadA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
TheAStretchAonAtheAventriclesA=ATheAvolumeAofAbloodAcreatingAaAstretchAonAtheAmuscularA
chamberAatAtheAendAofAdiastole.
PreloadADeterminedAbyA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
TheAamountAofAvolumeAinAtheApatient'sAbodyAandAwhereAisAthatAvolumeA(septicApatientsAha
veAvolumeAinAperipheryAandAnotAinAtheAheartAsoAaAdecreaseAinApreload).AIfAaApatientAhasAa
nAinfarctAwithApoorAventricleAstrengthAandAthereAwouldAbeAanAincreaseAinApreloadAasAitsAnot
AleavingAtheAheart
DecreasesAinApreloadA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Hypovolemia
Arrhythmia
LossAofAAtrialAKick
VenousAVasodilation
IncreasesAinAPreloadAofALeftAHeartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-LVAFailure
MitralAValveAdisease
AorticAvalveAdisease
CardiacAtamponadeAorAEffusion
VolumeAoverload
decreasedAcompliance
IncreasesAinAPreloadAofARightAHeartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
RVAFailureAdueAtoAischemia
IncreasedApulmonaryAvascularAresistance
cardiacAtamponadeAorAeffusion
volumeAoverload
LVAfailure
AfterAloadAdefinitionA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
TheAresistanceAtheAventriclesAmustAovercomeAtoAejectAtheAbloodAtoAtheAnextAcompartment
AfterloadAofAleftAventricleA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
AortaAandAsystemicAvascularAresistance
AfterloadAforARightAVentricleA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-PulmonaryAvascularAresistance
DecreasesAinAAfterloadA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Vasodilation
Sepsis
VasodilatorATherapies
IncreasesAinAAfterloadAofAtheArightAheartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-
PulmonaryAHypertension
Hypoxemia
PulmonicAStenosis
IncreasesAinAAfterloadAofALeftAheartA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-Vasoconstriction
Vasopressors
Hypothermia
AorticAStenosis
ContractilityADefinitionA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-TheAelasticityAofAtheAcardiacAmusclesA-
AhowAmuchAcanAtheAheartAmuscleAfibersAexpand
DecreasedAContractilityA-ACORRECTAANSWERS-ParasympatheticAStimulation
NegativeAIonotropicATherapiesA(BB,ACCB)