Burns Pediatric Primary Care Test Bank Related

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If a patient has elevated pulmonary vascular pressures, the nurse understands that the patient is most likely to develop which of the ff. physiological cardiac changes?

  • A. Left atrial atrophy
  • B. Left ventricular hypertrophy
  • C. Right atrial atrophy
  • D. Right ventricular hypertrophy
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Elevated pulmonary vascular pressures can lead to pulmonary hypertension, which causes increased pressure in the right side of the heart. The right ventricle has to work harder to pump blood against the increased resistance in the pulmonary circulation. Over time, this can result in the development of right ventricular hypertrophy as the muscle of the right ventricle thickens in response to the increased workload. This is a compensatory mechanism to try to maintain cardiac output despite the increased pressure in the pulmonary circulation. Left atrial atrophy, left ventricular hypertrophy, and right atrial atrophy are not typically associated with elevated pulmonary vascular pressures.