Which instruction given to a patient who is about to undergo Holter monitoring is most appropriate?
A "You may remove the monitor only to shower or bathe."
B "You should connect the monitor whenever you feel symptoms."
C "You should refrain from exercisin
D "You will need to keep a diary of all your activities and symptoms."
A Holter monitor is worn continuously for at least 24 hours while a patient continues with usual activity and keeps a diary of activities and symptoms. The patient should not take a ba
A nurse is caring for a patient immediately following a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). Which assessments are appropriate for this patient (select all that apply)?
A. Assess for return of gag reflex.
B Assess groin for hematoma or bleeding.
C Monito
A Assess for return of gag reflex
C Monitor vital signs and oxygen saturation.
The patient undergoing a TEE has been given conscious sedation and has had the throat numbed with a local anesthetic spray, thus eliminating the gag reflex until the effects we
The nurse is admitting a patient who is scheduled to undergo a cardiac catheterization. What allergy is most important for the nurse to assess before this procedure?
A Iron
B Iodine
C Aspirin
D Penicillin
B Iodine
The physician will usually use an iodine-based contrast to perform this procedure. Therefore it is imperative to know whether or not the patient is allergic to iodine or shellfish. Knowledge of allergies to iron, aspirin, or penicillin will be se
The blood pressure of a 71-year-old patient admitted with pneumonia is 160/70 mm Hg. What is an age-related change that contributes to this finding?
A Stenosis of the heart valves
B Decreased adrenergic sensitivity
C Increased parasympathetic activity
D L
D Loss of elasticity in arterial vessels
An age-related change that increases the risk of systolic hypertension is a loss of elasticity in the arterial walls. Because of the increasing resistance to flow, pressure is increased within the blood vessel, and
The nurse is providing care for a patient who has decreased cardiac output related to heart failure. What should the nurse recognize about cardiac output?
A Calculated by multiplying the patient's stroke volume by the heart rate
B The average amount of bl
A Calculated by multiplying the patient's stroke volume by the heart rate
Cardiac output is determined by multiplying the patient's stroke volume by heart rate, thus identifying how much blood is pumped by the heart over a 1-minute period. Electrical acti
Which effects of aging on the cardiovascular system should the nurse anticipate when providing care for older adults (select all that apply)?
A Systolic murmur Correct
B Diminished pedal pulses Correct
C Increased maximal heart rate Incorrect
D Decreased
A Systolic murmur Correct
B Diminished pedal pulses Correct
D Decreased maximal heart rate Correct
E Increased recovery time from activity Correct
Well-documented cardiovascular effects of the aging process include valvular rigidity leading to systolic mu
Auscultation of a patient's heart reveals the presence of a murmur. What is this assessment finding a result of?
A Increased viscosity of the patient's blood Incorrect
B Turbulent blood flow across a heart valve
C Friction between the heart and the myocar
B Turbulent blood flow across a heart valve
Turbulent blood flow across the affected valve results in a murmur. A murmur is not a direct result of variances in blood viscosity, conductivity, or friction between the heart and myocardium
While assessing the cardiovascular status of a patient, the nurse performs auscultation. Which intervention should the nurse implement in the assessment during auscultation?
A Position the patient supine.
B Ask the patient to hold his or her breath.
C Pal
C Palpate the radial pulse while auscultating the apical pulse.
In order to detect a pulse deficit, simultaneously palpate the radial pulse when auscultating the apical area. The diaphragm is more appropriate than the bell when auscultating S1 and S2. A s
A 59-year-old man has presented to the emergency department with chest pain. What component of his subsequent blood work is most clearly indicative of a myocardial infarction (MI)?
A CK-MB
B Troponin
C Myoglobin
D C-reactive protein
B Troponin
Troponin is the biomarker of choice in the diagnosis of MI, with sensitivity and specificity that exceed those of CK-MB and myoglobin. CRP levels are not used to diagnose acute MI.
While auscultating the patient's heart sounds with the bell of the stethoscope, the nurse hears these sounds. How should the nurse document what is heard?
A Diastolic murmur Incorrect
B Third heart sound (S3)
C Fourth heart sound (S4)
D Normal heart sound
B Third heart sound (S3)
The third heart sound is heard closely after the S2 and is known as a ventricular gallop because it is a vibration of the ventricular walls associated with decreased compliance of the ventricles during filling. It occurs with left
The patient is confused about how there can be a blockage in the left anterior descending artery (LAD), but there is damage to the right ventricle. The nurse can help the patient understand this with which explanation?
A "The one vessel curves around from
B "The LAD supplies blood to the left side of the heart and part of the right ventricle."
The best response is explaining that the lower portion of the right ventricle receives blood flow from the left anterior descending artery as well as the right coron
When looking at the electrocardiogram (ECG) of the patient, the nurse knows that the QRS complex recorded on the ECG represents which part of the heart's beat?
A Depolarization of the atria
B Repolarization of the ventricles
C Depolarization from AV node
C Depolarization from AV node throughout ventricles
The QRS recorded on the ECG represents depolarization from the AV node throughout the ventricles. The P wave represents depolarization of the atria. The T wave represents repolarization of the ventricles
In palpating the patient's pedal pulses, the nurse determines the pulses are absent. What factor could contribute to this result?
A Atherosclerosis
B Hyperthyroidism
C Arteriovenous fistula
D Cardiac dysrhythmias
A Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis can cause an absent peripheral pulse. The feet would also be cool and may be discolored. Hyperthyroidism causes a bounding pulse. Arteriovenous fistula gives a thrill or vibration to the vessel, although this would not be
On return from surgery, the patient is wearing intermittent sequential compression stockings that he does not want to keep on. How should the nurse explain their necessity to the patient while he is on bed rest?
A The socks keep the legs warm while the pa
D The socks provide compression of the veins to keep the blood moving back to the heart.
Intermittent sequential compression stockings provide compression of the veins while the patient is not using skeletal muscles to compress the veins, which keeps the
A 55-year-old man with aortic valve stenosis is being admitted for valve replacement surgery. Which assessment finding should the nurse expect?
A Pulse deficit
B Systolic murmur
C Distended neck veins
D Splinter hemorrhages
B Systolic murmur
The turbulent blood flow across a diseased valve results in a murmur. Aortic stenosis produces a systolic murmur. A pulse deficit indicates a cardiac dysrhythmia, most commonly atrial fibrillation. Distended neck veins may be caused by r
A 74-year-old woman who is admitted with severe dyspnea has a history of heart failure and chronic obstructive lung disease. Which diagnostic study would the nurse expect to be elevated if the cause of dyspnea was cardiac related?
A Serum potassium
B Seru
D b-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)
Elevation of b-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) indicates the presence of heart failure. Elevations help to distinguish cardiac vs. respiratory causes of dyspnea. Elevated potassium, homocysteine, or HDL levels may indicat
The nurse is assessing a 62-year-old woman undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer. How should the nurse position the patient to auscultate for signs of acute pericarditis?
A Supine without a pillow
B Sitting and leaning forward
C Left lateral si
B Sitting and leaning forward
A pericardial friction rub indicates pericariditis. To auscultate a pericardial friction rub, the patient should be sitting and leaning forward. The nurse will hear the pericardial friction rub at the end of expiration.
A nurse is preparing to teach a group of women in a community volunteer group about heart disease. What should the nurse include in the teaching plan?
A Women are less likely to delay seeking treatment than men.
B Women are more likely to have noncardiac
B Women are more likely to have noncardiac symptoms of heart disease.
Women often have atypical angina symptoms and nonpain symptoms. Women experience the onset of heart disease about 10 years later than men. Women are often more ill on presentation and d
A 64-year-old patient with a history of myocardial infarction is scheduled for a transesophageal echocardiogram to visualize a suspected clot in the left atrium. What information should the nurse include when teaching the patient about this diagnostic stu
A IV sedation may be administered to help the patient relax.
IV sedation is administered to help the patient relax and ease the insertion of the tube into the esophagus. Food and fluids are restricted for at least 6 hours before the procedure. Smoking and