A harsh, blowing grade IV/VI murmur is auscultated in a 6-month-old infant. What will the nurse practitioner do next?
- A. Get a complete blood count to rule out severe anemia.
- B. Obtain an electrocardiogram to assess for arrhythmia.
- C. Order a chest radiograph to evaluate for cardiomegaly.
- D. Refer to a pediatric cardiologist for further evaluation.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A harsh, blowing murmur is suspicious for pathology, so a cardiology referral is warranted.
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The following cranial nerves carry pre-ganglionic parasympathetic nerves:
- A. Oculomotor nerve
- B. Trigeminal nerve
- C. Facial nerve
- D. Vagus nerve
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The vagus nerve carries parasympathetic fibers. The oculomotor, trigeminal, and facial nerves do not.
Triggers of the alternate pathway of complement are:
- A. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide
- B. Interleukin 2
- C. Macrophages
- D. Properdin
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A because bacterial lipopolysaccharide is a known trigger of the alternate complement pathway. The other options (b-e) are not primary triggers.
Can parents hold their child during an echocardiogram procedure?
- A. You will be able to hold your child during the procedure.
- B. Your child can be active during the procedure, but can’t sit in your lap.
- C. Your child must lie quietly; sometimes a mild sedative is administered before the procedure.
- D. The procedure is invasive so your child will be restrained during the echocardiogram.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Although an echocardiogram is noninvasive, painless, and associated with no known side effects, it can be stressful for children. The child must lie quietly in the standard echocardiographic positions; crying, nursing, or sitting up often leads to diagnostic errors or omissions. Therefore, infants and young children may need a mild sedative; older children benefit from psychological preparation for the test. The distraction of a video or movie is often helpful.
A 12-year-old male tries out for a middle school hockey team. He has a history of a heart murmur as an infant, but the doctor thought it would go away. During the tryout, he experiences severe dyspnea and becomes light-headed. At your office, he has a normal rhythm, pulse, and blood pressure and is no longer dizzy. There is a grade 4/6 systole ejection murmur that radiates to the neck. There is also an ejection click. An ECG reveals left ventricular hypertrophy. The next approach to his management includes
- A. chest x-ray
- B. exercise test
- C. digitalization
- D. echocardiography
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Echocardiography is essential to evaluate the severity of aortic stenosis and its effects on the heart.
The jugular venous pressure (JVP) has a predictable relationship with pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP). A JVP of >12 mm Hg predicted PAWP >22 mm Hg by 88% in which of the following trials?
- A. BNP
- B. ESCAPE
- C. EVEREST
- D. EMPA REG
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ESCAPE trial studied the effectiveness of therapies in patients with advanced heart failure and showed that elevated JVP was correlated with high pulmonary artery wedge pressures.