Nokea
The critical care nurse is caring for a patient with a central venous pressure (CVP) monitoring system. The nurse notes that the patients CVP is increasing. Of what may this indicate?
- A. Psychosocial stress
- B. Hypervolemia
- C. Dislodgment of the catheter
- D. Hypomagnesemia
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: CVP is a useful hemodynamic parameter to observe when managing an unstable patients fluid volume status. An increasing pressure may be caused by hypervolemia or by a condition, such as heart failure, that results in decreased myocardial contractility. Stress, dislodgement of the catheter, and low magnesium levels would not typically result in increased CVP.
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The nurse is relating the deficits in a patients synchronization of the atrial and ventricular events to his diagnosis. What are the physiologic characteristics of the nodal and Purkinje cells that provide this synchronization? Select all that apply.
- A. Loop connectivity
- B. Excitability
- C. Automaticity
- D. Conductivity
- E. Independence
Correct Answer: B,C,D
Rationale: Three physiologic characteristics of two types of specialized electrical cells, the nodal cells and the Purkinje cells, provide this synchronization: automaticity, or the ability to initiate an electrical impulse; excitability, or the ability to respond to an electrical impulse; and conductivity, the ability to transmit an electrical impulse from one cell to another. Loop connectivity is a distracter for this question. Independence of the cells has nothing to do with the synchronization described in the scenario.
The student nurse is preparing a teaching plan for a patient being discharged status post MI. What should the student include in the teaching plan? (Mark all that apply.)
- A. Need for careful monitoring for cardiac symptoms
- B. Need for carefully regulated exercise
- C. Need for dietary modifications
- D. Need for early resumption of prediagnosis activity
- E. Need for increased fluid intake
Correct Answer: A,B,C
Rationale: Dietary modifications, exercise, weight loss, and careful monitoring are important strategies for managing three major cardiovascular risk factors: hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. There is no need to increase fluid intake and activity should be slowly and deliberately increased.
A brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide (BNP) sample has been drawn from an older adult patient who has been experienced vital fatigue and shortness of breath. This test will allow the care team to investigate the possibility of what diagnosis?
- A. Pleurisy
- B. Heart failure
- C. Valve dysfunction
- D. Cardiomyopathy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The level of BNP in the blood increases as the ventricular walls expand from increased pressure, making it a helpful diagnostic, monitoring, and prognostic tool in the setting of HF. It is not specific to cardiomyopathy, pleurisy, or valve dysfunction.
The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with unstable angina. The laboratory result for the initial troponin I is elevated in this patient. The nurse should recognize what implication of this assessment finding?
- A. This is only an accurate indicator of myocardial damage when it reaches its peak in 24 hours
- B. Because the patient has a history of unstable angina, this is a poor indicator of myocardial injury
- C. This is an accurate indicator of myocardial injury
- D. This result indicates muscle injury, but does not specify the source
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Troponin I, which is specific to cardiac muscle, is elevated within hours after myocardial injury. Even with a diagnosis of unstable angina, this is an accurate indicator of myocardial injury.
The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with angina who is scheduled for cardiac catheterization. The patient is anxious and asks the reason for this test. What is the best response?
- A. Cardiac catheterization is usually done to assess how blocked or open a patients coronary arteries are
- B. Cardiac catheterization is most commonly done to detect how efficiently a patients heart muscle contracts
- C. Cardiac catheterization is usually done to evaluate cardiovascular response to stress
- D. Cardiac catheterization is most commonly done to evaluate cardiac electrical activity
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cardiac catheterization is usually used to assess coronary artery patency to determine if revascularization procedures are necessary. A thallium stress test shows myocardial ischemia after stress. An ECG shows the electrical activity of the heart.