Nokea
A patient is scheduled for catheter ablation therapy. When describing this procedure to the patients family, the nurse should address what aspect of the treatment?
- A. Resetting of the hearts contractility
- B. Destruction of specific cardiac cells
- C. Correction of structural cardiac abnormalities
- D. Clearance of partially occluded coronary arteries
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Catheter ablation destroys specific cells that are the cause or central conduction route of a tachydysrhythmia. It does not reset the hearts contractility and it does not address structural or vascular abnormalities.
You may also like to solve these questions
The nurse is caring for a patient who has had an ECG. The nurse notes that leads I, II, and III differ from one another on the cardiac rhythm strip. How should the nurse best respond?
- A. Recognize that the view of the electrical current changes in relation to the lead placement.
- B. Recognize that the electrophysiological conduction of the heart differs with lead placement.
- C. Inform the technician that the ECG equipment has malfunctioned.
- D. Inform the physician that the patient is experiencing a new onset of dysrhythmia.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Each lead offers a different reference point to view the electrical activity of the heart. The lead displays the configuration of electrical activity of the heart. Differences between leads are not necessarily attributable to equipment malfunction or dysrhythmias.
The nurse is writing a plan of care for a patient with a cardiac dysrhythmia. What would be the most appropriate goal for the patient?
- A. Maintain a resting heart rate below 70 bpm.
- B. Maintain adequate control of chest pain.
- C. Maintain adequate cardiac output.
- D. Maintain normal cardiac structure.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: For patient safety, the most appropriate goal is to maintain cardiac output to prevent worsening complications as a result of decreased cardiac output. A resting rate of less than 70 bpm is not appropriate for every patient. Chest pain is more closely associated with acute coronary syndrome than with dysrhythmias. Nursing actions cannot normally influence the physical structure of the heart.
An ECG has been ordered for a newly admitted patient. What should the nurse do prior to electrode placement?
- A. Clean the skin with providone-iodine solution.
- B. Ensure that the area for electrode placement is dry.
- C. Apply tincture of benzoin to the electrode sites and wait for it to become tacky.
- D. Gently abrade the skin by rubbing the electrode sites with dry gauze or cloth.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: An ECG is obtained by slightly abrading the skin with a clean dry gauze pad and placing electrodes on the body at specific areas. The abrading of skin will enhance signal transmission. Disinfecting the skin is unnecessary and conduction gel is used.
A patient is admitted to the cardiac care unit for an electrophysiology (EP) study. What goal should guide the planning and execution of the patients care?
- A. Ablate the area causing the dysrhythmia.
- B. Freeze hypersensitive cells.
- C. Diagnose the dysrhythmia.
- D. Determine the nursing plan of care.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A patient may undergo an EP study in which electrodes are placed inside the heart to obtain an intracardiac ECG. This is used not only to diagnose the dysrhythmia but also to determine the most effective treatment plan. However, because an EP study is invasive, it is performed in the hospital and may require that the patient be admitted.
The nurse is caring for a patient who is in the recovery room following the implantation of an ICD. The patient has developed ventricular tachycardia (VT). What should the nurse assess and document?
- A. ECG to compare time of onset of VT and onset of devices shock
- B. ECG so physician can see what type of dysrhythmia the patient has
- C. Patients level of consciousness (LOC) at the time of the dysrhythmia
- D. Patients activity at time of dysrhythmia
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: If the patient has an ICD implanted and develops VT or ventricular fibrillation, the ECG should be recorded to note the time between the onset of the dysrhythmia and the onset of the devices shock or antitachycardia pacing. This is a priority over LOC or activity at the time of onset.