FRANDSEN CHAPTER 24 DRUG THERAPY FOR HEART FAILURE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | STUDY GUIDE & PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
A patient is receiving digoxin. The nurse monitors the patient's digoxin level. Which finding would the
nurse interpret as therapeutic? - ANS ✔✔1.5 ng/mL
While taking digoxin, serum potassium levels should be maintained at which level? - ANS ✔✔3.5-5.0
mEq/L
A 58-year-old man is admitted to the emergency department. A diagnosis of severe digoxin toxicity is
made. Bradycardia is present, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) confirms toxicity. The nurse will
administer which of the following drugs? - ANS ✔✔Digoxin immune fab
A patient is prescribed a cardiotonic medication. Which of the following pre-administration assessments
should the nurse perform on this patient? - ANS ✔✔Check for jugular vein distention.
Increases in neurohormonal activity cause which of the following to occur in clients with heart failure?
Select all that apply: - ANS ✔✔• Remodeling of the cardiac muscle cells
• Hypertrophy of the heart
• Increased need for oxygen
• Cardiac necrosis
A pregnant woman has severe hypertension. The doctor orders a beta blocker to treat her hypertension.
The client wants to know if it is safe for the fetus. How should the nurse respond? - ANS ✔✔"Beta
blockers are recommended for pregnant women because the risk to the fetus is less than with other
drugs."
The pharmacology instructor is describing medications that increase the contractile force of the heart.
Which of the following terms describes this effect? - ANS ✔✔Positive inotropic
In what patient is propranolol (Inderal) contraindicated? - ANS ✔✔35-year-old post-MI female with heart
rate 42
A nurse is providing discharge instructions to a patient who is taking atenolol (Tenormin) for
hypertension. What would the nurse teach the patient regarding the possible drug-to-drug interactions
and what the patient is advised to avoid? - ANS ✔✔NSAIDs
Your patient is a 72-year-old Asian male, status post-MI, with a 10-year history of cardiovascular disorder.
During your pre-discharge patient teaching on his new medications, you discuss his prescribed clonidine
and its major clinical effect. Because the drug is an alpha2-adrenergic agonist, the expected effect is: -
ANS ✔✔Decreased blood pressure.
In a discussion of heart failure, the nursing instructor is explaining preload and afterload. Which of the
following statements regarding preload and afterload is accurate? - ANS ✔✔Afterload is related to the
ejection of blood from the ventricle, and preload is related to the filling of the ventricle.
ANSWERS | STUDY GUIDE & PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
A patient is receiving digoxin. The nurse monitors the patient's digoxin level. Which finding would the
nurse interpret as therapeutic? - ANS ✔✔1.5 ng/mL
While taking digoxin, serum potassium levels should be maintained at which level? - ANS ✔✔3.5-5.0
mEq/L
A 58-year-old man is admitted to the emergency department. A diagnosis of severe digoxin toxicity is
made. Bradycardia is present, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) confirms toxicity. The nurse will
administer which of the following drugs? - ANS ✔✔Digoxin immune fab
A patient is prescribed a cardiotonic medication. Which of the following pre-administration assessments
should the nurse perform on this patient? - ANS ✔✔Check for jugular vein distention.
Increases in neurohormonal activity cause which of the following to occur in clients with heart failure?
Select all that apply: - ANS ✔✔• Remodeling of the cardiac muscle cells
• Hypertrophy of the heart
• Increased need for oxygen
• Cardiac necrosis
A pregnant woman has severe hypertension. The doctor orders a beta blocker to treat her hypertension.
The client wants to know if it is safe for the fetus. How should the nurse respond? - ANS ✔✔"Beta
blockers are recommended for pregnant women because the risk to the fetus is less than with other
drugs."
The pharmacology instructor is describing medications that increase the contractile force of the heart.
Which of the following terms describes this effect? - ANS ✔✔Positive inotropic
In what patient is propranolol (Inderal) contraindicated? - ANS ✔✔35-year-old post-MI female with heart
rate 42
A nurse is providing discharge instructions to a patient who is taking atenolol (Tenormin) for
hypertension. What would the nurse teach the patient regarding the possible drug-to-drug interactions
and what the patient is advised to avoid? - ANS ✔✔NSAIDs
Your patient is a 72-year-old Asian male, status post-MI, with a 10-year history of cardiovascular disorder.
During your pre-discharge patient teaching on his new medications, you discuss his prescribed clonidine
and its major clinical effect. Because the drug is an alpha2-adrenergic agonist, the expected effect is: -
ANS ✔✔Decreased blood pressure.
In a discussion of heart failure, the nursing instructor is explaining preload and afterload. Which of the
following statements regarding preload and afterload is accurate? - ANS ✔✔Afterload is related to the
ejection of blood from the ventricle, and preload is related to the filling of the ventricle.
