Cardio exam

The client asks the nurse to explain the difference between arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis. Which is the best explanation provided by the nurse?

"Arteriosclerosis is a condition that produces structural changes in the arteries, and atherosclerosis is a specific type of arteriosclerosis."

A client with a strong family history of coronary artery disease asks the nurse how to reduce the risk of developing the disorder. Which is the best response by the nurse?

"Exercise, keep your blood sugar in check, and manage your stress."

A client, who has undergone a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), has received discharge instructions. Which statement by the client would indicate the need for further teaching by the nurse?

"I should expect a low-grade fever and swelling at the site for the next week."

The nurse is conducting client teaching about cholesterol levels. When discussing the client's elevated LDL and lowered HDL levels, the client shows an understanding of the significance of these levels by stating what?

"Increased LDL and decreased HDL increase my risk of coronary artery disease." REMEMBER LDL=bad cholesterol. so if it's elevated its NOT good; HDL is your 'good' cholesterol. I remember it by "GH" being next to each other in alphabet so H = good.

Describe stages of pitting edema

+1 = 2mm +2= 4mm +3= 6mm +4= 8mm+

A nurse is caring for a client who will begin using transdermal nitroglycerin to treat angina pectoris. When speaking to the client about the drug, which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

-Apply the patch to a hairless skin area and rotate sites -Apply a new patch when you start the day -Remove patches 10 to 12 hours each day

A nurse is caring for a client who is about to begin captopril therapy. Which of the following adverse effects should the nurse instruct the client to report because it can indicate a need to discontinue drug therapy?

-RASH -Swelling of the tongue -Dry cough -Distorted taste

A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for gemfibrozil. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

-Report any new tolerance to fried foods. -Report muscle tenderness. -Expect periodic liver function testing is correct.

The nurse is calculating a cardiac client's pulse pressure. If the client's blood pressure is 122/76 mm Hg, what is the client's pulse pressure?

46 mm Hg **Remember pulse pressure is found by subtracting the two numbers ** 122-76=46

The nurse is assessing an African-American client for signs of cyanosis. Which assessment finding is documented as cyanosis?

A grayish cast to the skin

A client has a history of rheumatic fever as a child. Which instructions should be provided before the client has any dental work done?

ANTIBIOTICS. before any invasive procedure.. EVEN dental work

Which assessment finding by the nurse is the most significant finding suggestive of aortic aneurysm?

Abdominal bruit

A nurse should recognize that milrinone is contridicated for a client who has which of the following conditions?

Acute myocardial infarction

Which nursing diagnosis is most significant in planning the care for a client with Raynaud's disease?

Acute pain

The charge nurse was discussing with the nursing student that studies have been published that suggest inflammation increases the risk of heart disease. Which factor would the nursing student target in teaching clients about prevention of inflammation that can lead to atherosclerosis?

Addressing obesity

A nurse plans to have an education session with a client with cardiomyopathy and the client's spouse about ways to increase activity tolerance. What instructions would the nurse provide?

Alternate active periods with rest periods

The nurse is reviewing the results of a client's diagnostic test indicating a positive strep culture. Which prescription medication does the nurse anticipate?

Amoxicillin

A nurse is caring for a client who is taking digoxin and develops changes on their ECG tracing and other maneifestations that indicate the client has severe digoxin toxicity. Which of the following drugs should the nurse expect to administer to treat this complication?

Antigen-binding fragments

Following a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), which of the following nursing assessments would be considered as primary for this client?

Assess peripheral pulses in affected extremity

The nurse is caring for a client with coronary artery disease (CAD). What is an appropriate nursing action when evaluating a client with CAD?

Assess the characteristics of chest pain

A client with progressive mitral valve prolapse is experiencing sympathetic nervous system symptoms in addition to prolapse symptoms. Which teaching point should be stressed by the nurse in an effort to minimize these effects?

Avoid Caffiene

The nurse is caring for a client with Raynaud's disease. What is an important instruction for a client who is diagnosed with this disease to prevent an attack?

Avoid situations that contribute to ischemic episodes.

The nurse is working with a client who has just been diagnosed with an aneurysm. What advice should the nurse provide to this client?

Avoid straining during bowel movements and coughing.

Which valve is located between the left atrium and the left ventricle?

Bicuspid valve AKA "Mitral valve"

A client comes to the emergency department (ED) complaining of precordial chest pain. In describing the pain, the client describes it as pressure with a sudden onset. What disease process would the nurse suspect in this client?

CAD

A patient with pericarditis has been admitted to the CCU. The nurse caring for the patient knows that the most common clinical manifestation of pericarditis is what?

Chest pain Constant

The nurse is caring for a client with thrombophlebitis. When assessing this client, what would be most important to assess for?

Chest pain & dyspnea

What diagnostic tool would be the most helpful in diagnosing cardiomyopathy?

Echocardiogram

A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has a new prescription for losartan to treat hypertension. The nurse should instruct the client that which of the following findings could indicate an adverse reaction to the drug and needs to be reported?

Facial Edema

A client presents to the emergency room with characteristics of atherosclerosis. What characteristics would the client display?

Fatty deposits in the lumen of the artery

The nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with infective endocarditis and awaiting blood culture results. The client asks, "Where did I pick up these bacteria?" The nurse is most safe to speculate which of the following?

From a break in the skin

A nurse is caring for a client who is taking amiodarone to treat atrial fibrillation. Which of the following should the nurse instruct the client to avoid while taking this drug?

Grapefruit Juice

How do you calculate cardiac output?

HR x SV

A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for nitroglycerin. The nurse should instruct the client that which of the following manifestations is a potential adverse effect of the drug?

Headache

A brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide (BNP) sample has been drawn from an older adult client who has been experiencing vital fatigue and shortness of breath. This test will allow the care team to investigate the possibility of what diagnosis?

Heart Failure is diagnosed with a BNP

What is strongly linked to Buerger's disease?

History of smoking; and more common in males

A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for aliskiren to treat hypertension. The nurse should monitor the client for which of the following findings as an adverse effect of the drug?

Hyperkalemia throat swelling cough

Understanding atherosclerosis, the nurse identifies which of the following to be both a risk factor for the development of the disorder and an outcome?

Hypertension

In which type of cardiomyopathy does the heart muscle actually increase in size and mass weight, especially along the septum?

Hypertrophic

Which type of cardiomyopathy is associated with syncope?

Hypertrophic

A nurse is administering hydrochlorothiazide to a client who has arthritis. The nurse should monitor the client for which of the following findings that indicates an adverse effect of this drug?

Hyperuricemia

A nurse is caring for a client who is taking carvedilol and has a prescription for an oral antidiabetic drug to manage their new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. By taking both drugs concurrently, the nurse should identify that the client is at an increased risk for which of the following conditions?

Hypoglycemia

A nurse is assessing a client who is taking a loop diuretic and is experiencing a thready, irregular pulse, orthostatic hypotension, and confusion. The nurse should identify that these manifestations indicate which of the following adverse effects?

Hypokalemia

A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for verapamil to treat atrial fibrillation. The nurse should instruct the client to avoid drinking grapefruit juice while taking verapamil because it can cause the client to experience which of the following conditions?

Hypotension

A client with venous insufficiency is instructed to exercise, apply elastic stockings, and elevate the extremities. Which is the primary benefit for this nursing management regime?

Improve venous return

Which assessment finding would cause the greatest concern in providing nursing care to a client with mitral stenosis?

Increased left atrial pressure

A client is diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Which nursing diagnosis should receive highest priority at this time?

Ineffective peripheral tissue perfusion related to venous congestion

During a shift assessment, the nurse is identifying the client's point of maximum impulse (PMI). Where should the nurse best palpate the PMI?

Left midclavicular line of the chest at the fifth intercostal space REMEMBER it's also called "apical pulse"

Each chamber of the heart has a particular role in maintaining cellular oxygenation. Which chamber is responsible for pumping blood to all the cells and tissues of the body?

Left ventricle

A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for dobutamine. The nurse should clarify the prescription with the provider if the client is receiving which of the following types of drugs?

MAOIs, beta blockers, tricyclic antidepressants and general anesthetics

If a client were to develop rheumatic carditis, which cardiac structure would most likely be affected?

Mitral valve

A nurse is teaching a client who has a new prescription for quindine. Which of the following statements should the nurse include?

Monitor your pulse rate and report changes

Severe chest pain is reported by a client during an acute myocardial infarction. Which of the following is the most appropriate drug for the nurse to administer?

Morphine

A health care professional is caring for a patient who is about to begin taking simvastatin (Zocor) to treat hypercholesterolemia. The health care professional should tell the patient to report which of the following indications of a serious adverse reaction that could warrant stopping drug therapy?

Muscle Pain

A client has had a myocardial infarction and has been diagnosed as having damage to the layer of the heart responsible for the pumping action. This client experienced damage to what area of the heart?

Myocardium *Muscle is responsible for pumping.* Muscle=myocardium

A nurse is caring for a client who is taking atorvastatin and has a new prescription for gemfibrozil. The nurse should recognize that this drug combination places the client at an increased risk for which of the following adverse effects?

Myopathy

The nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for propranolol to treat a tachydysrhythmia. The nurse should instruct the client to avoid which of the following types of over the counter drugs while taking propranolol?

NSAIDs

A nurse is caring for a client with pericarditis and auscultates a pericardial friction rub. What action does the nurse ask the client to do to distinguish a pericardial friction rub from a pleural friction rub?

Nurse asks client to hold their breath during auscultation

The nurse is caring for a client with a history of endocarditis. What topic should the nurse prioritize during health promotion education?

Oral hygiene it reduces the risk of bacteria entering the blood

A client with Raynaud's disease complains of cold and numbness in the fingers. Which of the following would the nurse identify as an early sign of vasoconstriction?

Pallor

The nurse is caring for a client with manifestations of dilated cardiomyopathy. When planning care, which consideration would the nurse make?

Place bed in a high or semi-high Fowler's position as needed.

A nurse is caring for a client who is taking spironolactone to treat hypertension. The nurse should recognize that which of the following client laboratory value requires immediate intervention?

Potassium of 5.2 mEq/L *Remember normal potassium is 3.5-5.0

The instructor is talking with a nursing student who is caring for a client with pericarditis. The instructor asks the student to name the main characteristic of pericarditis. What should be the student's answer?

Precordial Pain

The health care team is caring for a client with early atherosclerotic changes within the blood vessels. The physician orders diagnostic testing, and the nurse provides cardiovascular teaching. Which primary goal is the health care team working toward?

Preserving the natural heart by avoiding further heart disease

A nurse should identify that which of the following drugs is used only for the short term treatment of a cardiac dysrhythmia because of the serious adverse effects associated with long term use?

Procainamide

A client has had oral anticoagulation ordered. What should the nurse monitor for when the client is taking oral anticoagulation?

Prothrombin time (PT) or international normalized ratio (INR)

The nurse is caring for clients on a busy cardiac unit. Following morning assessment, the nurse would notify the physician with which of the following symptoms?

Pulsus paradoxus on vital sign assessment

A nurse is caring for a client who is taking a diuretic. The nurse should instruct the client to include which of the following foods in their diet to increase potassium intake?

Raisins, and other dried fruit are high in potassium

Where does the left atrium receive blood from?

Receives Oxygenated blood from the lungs via the four pulmonary veins. Then the left ventricle pumps the blood to the body.

The nurse is discharging a client after a cardiac catheterization. What would the nurse include in the discharge teaching?

Report any numbness, tingling, or sharp pain in the extremity.

A nurse is caring for a client who has a depressive disorder and requires a prescription drug to treat hypertension. The nurse should recognize that which of the following antihypertensive drugs is contraindicted for this client?

Reserpine

What disease process is mitral regurgitation associated with?

Rheumatic carditis

Which historical fact is of greatest value to a nurse who is interviewing a client being admitted for possible mitral regurgitation?

Rheumatic fever

The nurse should know that in developing countries the most common cause of mitral valve regurgitation is what?

Rheumatic heart disease and its sequelae

While auscultating heart sounds, the nurse hears "lub-dub-dee" and recognizes that this would be characterized as which heart sound?

S3

Which symptom occurs in the client diagnosed with mitral regurgitation when pulmonary congestion occurs?

SOB

A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for verapamil. The nurse should clarify the prescription with the provider if the client has a history of which of the following conditions?

Second degree AV block

The nurse is caring for a client with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Which assessment finding is most likely to indicate a dissection of the aneurysm?

Severe back pain

A nurse is reviewing new prescriptions with a client who has heart disease. The nurse should instruct the client that which of the following drugs is prescribed to treat hypercholesterolemia?

Simvastatin

Which of the conductive structures is known as the pacemaker of the heart?

Sinoatrial node

The nurse is instructing a new graduate nurse. Together, they are caring for a client with infective endocarditis. What is a sign of infective endocarditis?

Splinter hemorrhage

A nurse is caring for a client who has glomerular filtration rate of 10 mL/min and a reduced urine output. The nurse should clarify a prescription for hydrochlorothizaide for this client because of which of the following characteristics of the drug?

The drug does not promote diuresis for patients who have renal insufficiency.

The nursing instructor is teaching a class on thrombophlebitis. What should the nurse tell the students about the inflammatory response in thrombophlebitis?

The inflammatory response is caused by accumulated waste products in the blocked vessel.

A nurse and a nursing student are performing a physical assessment of a client with pericarditis. The client has an audible pericardial friction rub on auscultation. When leaving the room, the student asks the nurse what causes the sound. The nurse's best response is which of the following?

The pericardial surfaces lose their lubricating fluid because of inflammation and rub against each other."

Do the ventricles receive or pump blood?

They pump blood

Do the Atria of the heart receive or pump blood?

They receive blood

A nurse is caring for a dying client following myocardial infarction. The client is experiencing apnea with a falling blood pressure of 60 per palpation. Which documentation of pulse quality does the nurse anticipate?

Thready pulse

What is the purpose of cardiac catheterization?

To check if and how much an artery is blocked

In the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), medications are often ordered to control blood pressure in the client. Which of the following is a primary purpose of using beta-adrenergic blockers in the nursing management of CAD?

To decrease workload of the heart

What is the best technique to identify structural changes in the mitral valve?

Transthoracic echocardiogram

Which valve is located between the right atrium and right ventricle?

Tricuspid valve

When is a drug induced stress test chosen over the other one?

When a patient cannot tolerate physical activity

what are some post op things to look for during cardiac catheterization?

You will apply pressure dressing, monitor their BP, monitor for infection, & neuromuscular checks. Client instructions include to avoid movement, report pain/bleeding, & drink plenty of fluids.

The nurse is assessing a client who has dyspnea and considering the process of gas exchange. Which structural characteristic of capillaries best enables gas exchange at the cellular level?

capillaries are one cell layer thick

How many chambers does the heart have?

four

The client is complaining of severe dizziness and drowsiness. Upon assessment, the nurse finds the client has bradycardia and a bluish discoloration of the palms and fingernails. What do these signs and symptoms indicate?

overdosage

What is the purpose of the valves in the heart?

prevent back flow of blood; they separate the atrium from the ventricle

Where does the right atrium receive blood from?

receives unoxygenated blood from the venous system.. & then the right ventricle pumps that to the lung to be oxygenated

During auscultation of the lungs, what would a nurse note when assessing a client with left-sided heart failure?

wheezes with wet lung sounds

Which nursing actions would be of greatest importance in the management of a client preparing for angioplasty?

withhold anticoagulant therapy