Which class of medications is commonly prescribed to manage symptoms and improve outcomes in heart failure?
- A. Antibiotics
- B. Antidepressants
- C. Beta-blockers
- D. Antihistamines
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Beta-blockers. Beta-blockers are commonly prescribed in heart failure to manage symptoms and improve outcomes by reducing the heart's workload and improving its efficiency. They help lower blood pressure, decrease heart rate, and improve heart function. Antibiotics (A) are used to treat bacterial infections, not heart failure. Antidepressants (B) are used for mental health conditions, not heart failure. Antihistamines (D) are used to treat allergies, not heart failure.
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The ED nurse is assessing a patient complaining of dyspnea. The nurse auscultates the patient's chest and hears wheezing throughout the lung fields. What might this indicate?
- A. The patient has a narrowed airway.
- B. The patient has pneumonia.
- C. The patient needs physiotherapy.
- D. The patient has a hemothorax.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: The patient has a narrowed airway. Wheezing throughout the lung fields indicates the presence of narrowed airways, often due to conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Wheezing is caused by turbulent airflow through narrowed airways, leading to a high-pitched whistling sound during expiration. This is a characteristic finding in patients with obstructive airway diseases.
Summary of other choices:
B: The patient having pneumonia would typically present with symptoms like fever, cough, and consolidation on auscultation, not wheezing.
C: The patient needing physiotherapy may have respiratory muscle weakness or secretion clearance issues but would not typically present with wheezing throughout lung fields.
D: The presence of a hemothorax (blood in the pleural space) would manifest as decreased breath sounds and signs of respiratory distress but not wheezing.
The nurse is aware that the characteristic of emphysema that gives rise to the "Pink Puffer" label is the emphysemic patient's:
- A. Dyspnea.
- B. Barrel chest.
- C. Thin body.
- D. Normal ABGs.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Normal ABGs. In emphysema, the destruction of alveoli leads to impaired gas exchange, causing respiratory acidosis and hypoxemia. However, "Pink Puffers" maintain normal or slightly low CO2 levels (normal ABGs) due to persistent hyperventilation. This compensatory mechanism helps them maintain adequate oxygen levels despite damaged alveoli. Dyspnea (choice A) and barrel chest (choice B) are common in emphysema but do not specifically contribute to the "Pink Puffer" label. Thin body (choice C) is associated with another type of COPD, chronic bronchitis.
The nurse is caring for a patient with lung metastases who just underwent a mediastinotomy. What should be the focus of the nurse's postprocedure care?
- A. Assisting with pulmonary function testing (PFT)
- B. Maintaining the patient's chest tube
- C. Administering oral suction as needed
- D. Performing chest physiotherapy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Maintaining the patient's chest tube. After a mediastinotomy, the focus of postprocedure care is to ensure proper drainage and prevent pneumothorax. Chest tube maintenance is crucial for monitoring drainage, preventing complications, and promoting lung expansion. Assisting with PFT (A) is not a priority immediately post mediastinotomy. Administering oral suction (C) can disrupt the chest tube and increase infection risk. Performing chest physiotherapy (D) may be indicated later but is not the immediate priority.
What is the primary function of carbonic anhydrase in the human body?
- A. Breakdown of carbohydrates
- B. Regulation of blood sugar levels
- C. Facilitation of gas exchange in the lungs
- D. Catalyzing the conversion of carbon dioxide and water to bicarbonate and hydrogen ions
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Catalyzing the conversion of carbon dioxide and water to bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. Carbonic anhydrase helps maintain acid-base balance in the body by catalyzing the reversible reaction between carbon dioxide and water to form bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. This process is crucial in regulating pH levels in various bodily fluids.
A: Breakdown of carbohydrates - This is not the primary function of carbonic anhydrase. Carbohydrate breakdown is primarily carried out by enzymes like amylase and sucrase.
B: Regulation of blood sugar levels - Carbonic anhydrase does not play a direct role in regulating blood sugar levels, which is mainly controlled by insulin and glucagon.
C: Facilitation of gas exchange in the lungs - While carbonic anhydrase indirectly affects gas exchange by regulating blood pH, its primary function is not to facilitate gas exchange in the lungs.
A nurse instructs a female client to use the pursed-lip method of breathing and the client asks the nurse about the purpose of this type of breathing. The nurse responds, knowing that the primary purpose of pursed-lip breathing is to:
- A. Promote oxygen intake.
- B. Strengthen the diaphragm.
- C. Strengthen the intercostal muscles.
- D. Promote carbon dioxide elimination.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Promote carbon dioxide elimination. Pursed-lip breathing is a technique used to slow down breathing and help control shortness of breath. By exhaling through pursed lips, it creates back-pressure in the airways, allowing more time for the lungs to empty and facilitating better removal of carbon dioxide. This helps improve oxygenation by optimizing the gas exchange process. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because pursed-lip breathing primarily focuses on improving ventilation and gas exchange, not specifically on increasing oxygen intake or strengthening specific respiratory muscles.