HEALTHSTREAM ICU KNOWLEDGE TEST PAPER
2026 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
GRADED A+
◉ A patient has an elevated central venous pressure (CVP)
measurement. The most likely reason is: Answer: right heart failure.
◉ Diabetes insipidus is usually treated with Answer: vasopressin.
◉ Which physiologic effect is produced by alpha-1 receptors?
Answer: Vasoconstriction
◉ The patient experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
arrived on the unit an hour ago with TPA infusing. Initially, the
patient's neurologic exam was normal. The nurse assesses the
patient and finds him now disoriented. The next nursing action
should be to: Answer: discontinue the TPA.
◉ A patient has cardiomyopathy and is unstable. The nurse
understands that the treatment goal is to improve contractility,
reduce preload and reduce afterload. The nurse anticipates that
medication management will include: Answer: dobutamine and
nitroprusside infusions
,◉ A continuous drip of a medication is ordered at a rate of 2
mg/min. The standard mixture of this medication to yield a final
concentration of 2 mg/mL is 1 g of the medication in 500 mL of IV
fluid. At what rate in milliliters per hour should the IV pump be set?
Answer: 60 mL/hr
◉ A practitioner has ordered 700 mg of an antibiotic. The
medication label states, "Add 5 mL sterile water to 1 g of this
medication; 0.5 g = 2 mL." How many milliliters should be given?
Answer: 2.8 mL
◉ A practitioner order is written for a continuous infusion of insulin
at 3 units/hr; the premixed solution is composed of 100 units of
regular U-100 insulin in 100 mL normal saline. At which rate should
the infusion run? Answer: 3 ml/hr
◉ A dose of 35 mg of a corticosteroid is ordered to be given IM to
treat inflammation. The medication is available as 250 mg/10 mL.
How many milliliters should be administered? Answer: 1.4 ml
◉ A practitioner's order prescribes levothyroxine 0.075 mg PO daily.
The available medication is levothyroxine 25-mcg tablets. What will
the nurse administer? Answer: 3 tabs
◉ The actions of nitroglycerin in the management of angina include
Answer: coronary artery dilation and peripheral venous dilation.
, ◉ The most common cause of right heart failure is: Answer: left
heart failure.
◉ The nurse is differentiating between right- and left-sided heart
failure in an assigned patient. For right-sided heart failure, the
patient presents with edematous extremities, nausea/vomiting, and:
Answer: anorexia.
◉ The nurse is assigned to a patient with acute adrenal insufficiency
(Addisonian crisis). The practitioner orders the steroids to be
discontinued quickly. The nurse knows to question the order
because: Answer: steroids should be withdrawn slowly to allow for
pituitary production of ACTH
◉ The nurse is caring for a patient who has atrial fibrillation. The
patient is attempting to understand why this dysrhythmia developed
in him. The nurse educates this patient about his risk factors,
including: Answer: diabetes mellitus.
◉ The nurse is assigned a patient who is experiencing chest pain
resulting from coronary artery spasms while at rest. The nurse
quickly realizes that the patient is suffering from: Answer: variant
(Prinzmetal's) angina.
2026 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
GRADED A+
◉ A patient has an elevated central venous pressure (CVP)
measurement. The most likely reason is: Answer: right heart failure.
◉ Diabetes insipidus is usually treated with Answer: vasopressin.
◉ Which physiologic effect is produced by alpha-1 receptors?
Answer: Vasoconstriction
◉ The patient experiencing an acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
arrived on the unit an hour ago with TPA infusing. Initially, the
patient's neurologic exam was normal. The nurse assesses the
patient and finds him now disoriented. The next nursing action
should be to: Answer: discontinue the TPA.
◉ A patient has cardiomyopathy and is unstable. The nurse
understands that the treatment goal is to improve contractility,
reduce preload and reduce afterload. The nurse anticipates that
medication management will include: Answer: dobutamine and
nitroprusside infusions
,◉ A continuous drip of a medication is ordered at a rate of 2
mg/min. The standard mixture of this medication to yield a final
concentration of 2 mg/mL is 1 g of the medication in 500 mL of IV
fluid. At what rate in milliliters per hour should the IV pump be set?
Answer: 60 mL/hr
◉ A practitioner has ordered 700 mg of an antibiotic. The
medication label states, "Add 5 mL sterile water to 1 g of this
medication; 0.5 g = 2 mL." How many milliliters should be given?
Answer: 2.8 mL
◉ A practitioner order is written for a continuous infusion of insulin
at 3 units/hr; the premixed solution is composed of 100 units of
regular U-100 insulin in 100 mL normal saline. At which rate should
the infusion run? Answer: 3 ml/hr
◉ A dose of 35 mg of a corticosteroid is ordered to be given IM to
treat inflammation. The medication is available as 250 mg/10 mL.
How many milliliters should be administered? Answer: 1.4 ml
◉ A practitioner's order prescribes levothyroxine 0.075 mg PO daily.
The available medication is levothyroxine 25-mcg tablets. What will
the nurse administer? Answer: 3 tabs
◉ The actions of nitroglycerin in the management of angina include
Answer: coronary artery dilation and peripheral venous dilation.
, ◉ The most common cause of right heart failure is: Answer: left
heart failure.
◉ The nurse is differentiating between right- and left-sided heart
failure in an assigned patient. For right-sided heart failure, the
patient presents with edematous extremities, nausea/vomiting, and:
Answer: anorexia.
◉ The nurse is assigned to a patient with acute adrenal insufficiency
(Addisonian crisis). The practitioner orders the steroids to be
discontinued quickly. The nurse knows to question the order
because: Answer: steroids should be withdrawn slowly to allow for
pituitary production of ACTH
◉ The nurse is caring for a patient who has atrial fibrillation. The
patient is attempting to understand why this dysrhythmia developed
in him. The nurse educates this patient about his risk factors,
including: Answer: diabetes mellitus.
◉ The nurse is assigned a patient who is experiencing chest pain
resulting from coronary artery spasms while at rest. The nurse
quickly realizes that the patient is suffering from: Answer: variant
(Prinzmetal's) angina.
