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A patient with a history of chronic heart failure is admitted to the emergency department (ED) with severe dyspnea and a dry, hacking cough. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
- A. Palpate the abdomen.
- B. Assess the orientation.
- C. Check the capillary refill.
- D. Auscultate the lung sounds.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: This patient's severe dyspnea and cough indicate that acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is occurring. ADHF usually manifests as pulmonary edema, which should be detected and treated immediately to prevent ongoing hypoxemia and cardiac or respiratory arrest. The other assessments will provide useful data about the patient's volume status and also should be accomplished rapidly, but detection (and treatment) of pulmonary complications is the priority.
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A patient with heart failure has a new order for lisinopril 10 mg PO. After administering the first dose and teaching the patient about lisinopril, which statement by the patient indicates that teaching has been effective?
- A. I will call for help when I need to get up to use the bathroom.
- B. I will be sure to take the medication after eating something.
- C. I will need to include more high-potassium foods in my diet.
- D. I will expect to feel more short of breath for the next few days.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Lisinopril can cause hypotension, especially after the initial dose, so it is important that the patient not get up out of bed without assistance until the nurse has had a chance to evaluate the effect of the first dose. The ACE inhibitors are potassium sparing, and the nurse should not teach the patient to increase sources of dietary potassium. Increased shortness of breath is not an expected effect of ACE inhibitors, which are best absorbed when taken an hour before eating.
The nurse is caring for a patient with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Which of the following values should the nurse expect to assess in the patient related to ejection fraction?
- A. 40%
- B. 60%
- C. 80%
- D. 90%
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Normal EF is greater than 55% of the ventricular volume. Patients with HF-REF requiring specialist intervention generally have an EF less than or equal to 40%.
An outpatient who has heart failure returns to the clinic after 2 weeks of therapy with an ACE inhibitor. Which of these assessment findings is most important for the nurse to report to the health care provider?
- A. Pulse rate of 56
- B. 2+ pedal edema
- C. BP of 88/42 mm Hg
- D. Complaints of fatigue
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The patient's BP indicates that the dose of the ACE inhibitor may need to be decreased because of hypotension. Bradycardia is a frequent adverse effect of β-adrenergic blockade, but the rate of 56 is not unusual with β-blocker therapy. β-adrenergic blockade initially will worsen symptoms of heart failure in many patients, and patients should be taught that some increase in symptoms, such as fatigue and edema, is expected during the initiation of therapy with this class of drugs.
A patient who has chronic heart failure tells the nurse, 'I felt fine when I went to bed, but I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I was suffocating!' Which of the following information should the nurse document related to this assessment?
- A. Pulsus alternans
- B. Two-pillow orthopnea
- C. Acute bilateral pleural effusion
- D. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is caused by the reabsorption of fluid from dependent body areas when the patient is sleeping and is characterized by waking up suddenly with the feeling of suffocation. Pulsus alternans is the alternation of strong and weak peripheral pulses during palpation. Orthopnea indicates that the patient is unable to lie flat because of dyspnea. Pleural effusions develop over a longer time period.
The home health nurse is visiting a patient with chronic heart failure who has prescriptions for a diuretic, an ACE-inhibitor, and a low-sodium diet and tells the nurse about a 2.3 kg weight gain in the last 3 days. Which of the following actions should the nurse do first?
- A. Ask the patient to recall the dietary intake for the last 3 days.
- B. Question the patient about the use of the prescribed medications.
- C. Assess the patient for clinical manifestations of acute heart failure.
- D. Teach the patient about the importance of dietary sodium restrictions.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The development of dependent edema or a sudden weight gain of more than 2 kg in 2 days is often indicative of exacerbated HF. It is important that the patient be immediately assessed for other clinical manifestations of decompensation, such as lung crackles. A dietary recall to detect hidden sodium in the diet, reinforcement of sodium restrictions, and assessment of medication compliance may be appropriate interventions but are not the first nursing actions indicated.