NURS 251 PHARMACOLOGY MODULE 1 TO 10
EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Cardiac glycosides (Digoxin)
Inotropy = Cardiac muscle contraction --> cardiac glycosides
increase cardiac muscle contraction. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal
Drugs*
______________ are drugs that have a direct positive inotropic effect on
cardiac muscle tissue.
◉ Digoxin. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal Drugs*
___________ is the primary cardiac glycoside in clinical use.
◉ sodium
calcium. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal Drugs*
In a cardiac myocyte, Digoxin (cardiac glycoside = increased
inotropy) prevents the export of _________ from the cell, which allows
for increased import of ________, which increases the strength of
muscle contraction.
,◉ vasodilation and positive inotropy. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal
Drugs*
Bipyridines (Inamrinone, Milrinone) promote both ___________ and
____________.
◉ positive inotropy and chronotropy
Dobutamine works by increasing the depolarization and contraction
strength in cardiac myocytes. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal Drugs*
β-agonists (Dobutamine) stimulate ______________ and _______________,
thereby increasing cardiac output.
◉ Arrhythmias. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
______________ are irregular heartbeats caused by misfirings of the
various electrical signals that control cardiac muscle contraction and
relaxation.
◉ electrically isolated
AV bundle. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
Atria are _________________ from the ventricles. Only the ____________
connects the atria to the ventricles.
◉ Slow Na+ channels. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
,______________ channels allow a slow depolarization of SA node cells,
resulting in pacemaker action potentials once the cell reaches a
certain threshold.
◉ P = Atrial depolarization
QRS = Ventricular depolarization
T = Ventricular repolarization. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
P = ___________
QRS = __________
T = ____________
◉ Ectopic foci
Caused by:
Caffeine
Ischemia
Localized sympathetic overstimulation. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
_____________ are cardiac muscle cells that just depolarize by
themselves, creating an arrhythmia.
◉ ectopic foci (ischemia - dying cells are easier to depolarize).
Answer: *Arrhythmias*
, People that have had a heart attack are far more likely to suffer from
arrhythmias due to _____________.
◉ First Degree AV Block - notice the little delay between the P wave
and the QRS complex. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
◉ Second Degree AV Block (Partial Block)
May be better described as an "intermittent block". Some
depolarization events make it through, some don't.. Answer:
*Arrhythmias*
◉ Third Degree AV Block (Complete block with AV pacemaker
signals)
No signals get through from the SA node to the AV node, but the AV
node will still fire on it's own. The signals have nothing to do with
each other. **The key here is seeing a QRS complex WITHOUT a P
wave beforehand**.. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
◉ re-entry rhythm. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
A ______________ occurs when an area of cardiac muscle gets
depolarized and contracts TWICE due to defects in the architecture
of the tissue.
EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ Cardiac glycosides (Digoxin)
Inotropy = Cardiac muscle contraction --> cardiac glycosides
increase cardiac muscle contraction. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal
Drugs*
______________ are drugs that have a direct positive inotropic effect on
cardiac muscle tissue.
◉ Digoxin. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal Drugs*
___________ is the primary cardiac glycoside in clinical use.
◉ sodium
calcium. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal Drugs*
In a cardiac myocyte, Digoxin (cardiac glycoside = increased
inotropy) prevents the export of _________ from the cell, which allows
for increased import of ________, which increases the strength of
muscle contraction.
,◉ vasodilation and positive inotropy. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal
Drugs*
Bipyridines (Inamrinone, Milrinone) promote both ___________ and
____________.
◉ positive inotropy and chronotropy
Dobutamine works by increasing the depolarization and contraction
strength in cardiac myocytes. Answer: *Cardiac & Renal Drugs*
β-agonists (Dobutamine) stimulate ______________ and _______________,
thereby increasing cardiac output.
◉ Arrhythmias. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
______________ are irregular heartbeats caused by misfirings of the
various electrical signals that control cardiac muscle contraction and
relaxation.
◉ electrically isolated
AV bundle. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
Atria are _________________ from the ventricles. Only the ____________
connects the atria to the ventricles.
◉ Slow Na+ channels. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
,______________ channels allow a slow depolarization of SA node cells,
resulting in pacemaker action potentials once the cell reaches a
certain threshold.
◉ P = Atrial depolarization
QRS = Ventricular depolarization
T = Ventricular repolarization. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
P = ___________
QRS = __________
T = ____________
◉ Ectopic foci
Caused by:
Caffeine
Ischemia
Localized sympathetic overstimulation. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
_____________ are cardiac muscle cells that just depolarize by
themselves, creating an arrhythmia.
◉ ectopic foci (ischemia - dying cells are easier to depolarize).
Answer: *Arrhythmias*
, People that have had a heart attack are far more likely to suffer from
arrhythmias due to _____________.
◉ First Degree AV Block - notice the little delay between the P wave
and the QRS complex. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
◉ Second Degree AV Block (Partial Block)
May be better described as an "intermittent block". Some
depolarization events make it through, some don't.. Answer:
*Arrhythmias*
◉ Third Degree AV Block (Complete block with AV pacemaker
signals)
No signals get through from the SA node to the AV node, but the AV
node will still fire on it's own. The signals have nothing to do with
each other. **The key here is seeing a QRS complex WITHOUT a P
wave beforehand**.. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
◉ re-entry rhythm. Answer: *Arrhythmias*
A ______________ occurs when an area of cardiac muscle gets
depolarized and contracts TWICE due to defects in the architecture
of the tissue.
