NSG 3105 WEEK 4: CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM. EXAM QUESTIONS WITH 100% CORRECT ANSWERS | LATEST VERSION 2025/2026.

NSG 3105 WEEK 4: CARDIOVASCULAR
SYSTEM. EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
100% CORRECT ANSWERS | LATEST
VERSION 2025/2026.




Describe a peripheral vascular system assessment - ANS Inspection: skin colour, venous flow,
edema, varicose veins .Cap refill time, blanching to observe return of colour should be within 3
seconds
Palpation: pulses in neck and peripheral; pulsation volume (normal, bounding, weak, etc),
rigidity of vessel



Describe the steps of a thorax assessment - ANS Inspection and palpation: general
observation and feel areas like intercostal spaces
Auscultation: should hear S1 and S2 (systole between 1 and 2, diastole between 2 and 1 again)



Describe the adventitious heart sounds - ANS S3 is low intensity vibration of ventricular
walls, closely after S2, may occur with L vent failure or mitral valve regurgitation
S4 is low intensity, precedes S1, caused by atrial contraction



Describe the different waves on an ECG - ANS P wave - depolarization of the atria.
QRS complex - depolarization of the ventricles.
T wave - repolarization of the ventricles.

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,U wave, if present - repolarization of the Purkinje fibres or may be associated with hypokalemia



What do the PR, QRS and QT intervals reflect? - ANS PR, QRS, and QT intervals reflect the
length of time it takes for the impulse to travel from one area of the heart to another.



What influence do electrolytes have on the heart? - ANS Electrolytes are substances that
help trigger and sustain the heart's electrical impulses.
Potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium
Potassium mainly controls the heart, sodium mainly controls the brain



Potassium and the heart - ANS in charge of myocardial contraction. affects rate of ventricular
depolarization



Normal Potassium Values - ANS 3.5-5.1 mmol/l



Sodium and the heart - ANS reflect water balance, directly affects HR and BP, affects
pre/after load



Calcium impact on heart - ANS Calcium particles enter the heart muscle cells during each
heartbeat and contribute to the electrical signal that coordinates the heart's function. Calcium
particles also bind to machinery within the cell that helps the cell to squeeze together
("contract"), which makes the heart pump blood.



Magnesium impact on heart - ANS regulating a number of ion transporters, including
potassium and calcium channels.



Calcium normal range - ANS 2.10-2.50 mmol/l



Magnesium normal range - ANS 0.65-1.05 mmol/l


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, Normal Sodium Range - ANS 135-146 mmol/l



What is Cardiac Output? What are the normal values? - ANS blood pumped/min Normal 4-
8L/min (Ave 5L/min)



What is the stroke volume? - ANS the amount of blood ejected by the heart in any one
contraction
SV = CO/HR, Average 75 ml



Cardiac Reserve - ANS the difference between a person's maximum cardiac output and
cardiac output at rest



Pulse Pressure - ANS difference between systolic and diastolic pressure
Average is 40mmHg or 1/3 of systolic BP



Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) - ANS pressure forcing blood into tissues, averaged over
cardiac cycle
diastolic pressure + 1/3 pulse pressure



mean arterial pressure - what is it an indicator of? - ANS MAP >60 needed to maintain
adequate tissue perfusion



What is pre-load? What affects it? - ANS Volume of blood in ventricles at end of diastole
Affected by the amount of blood delivered to the heart



Sterlings law of preload - ANS greater stretch = greater preload




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