MED-SURG PREP-U CH.27 CH.29 EXAM 3
The nurse is teaching a client with heart failure about the ability for the heart to pump out blood. What diagnostic test will measure the ejection fraction of the heart?
echocardiogram
A client with known coronary artery disease reports intermittent chest pain, usually on exertion. When teaching the client about nitroglycerin administration, which instruction should the nurse provide?
"Be sure to take safety precautions because nitroglycerin may cause dizziness when you stand up."
A client with angina pectoris must learn how to reduce risk factors that exacerbate this condition. When developing the client's care plan, which expected outcome should a nurse include?
"Client will verbalize the intention to stop smoking."
The client with cardiac failure is taught to report which symptom to the physician or clinic immediately?
Persistent cough
A patient in the recovery room after cardiac surgery begins to have extremity paresthesia, peaked T waves, and mental confusion. What type of electrolyte imbalance does the nurse suspect this patient is having?
Potassium
A patient is prescribed digitalis preparations. Which of the following conditions should the nurse closely monitor when caring for the patient?
Potassium levels
The nurse is teaching a client diagnosed with coronary artery disease about nitroglycerin. What is the cardiac premise behind administration of nitrates?
Preload is reduced.
The nurse is discussing cardiac terms with a client who was doing some reading on the Internet. What is the correct response for the nurse when the client asks what affects stroke volume?
Stroke volume is affected by temperature and heart rate.
The nurse is administering digoxin to a client with heart failure. What laboratory value may predispose the client to digoxin toxicity?
potassium level of 2.8 mEq/L
A client with heart failure is having a decrease in cardiac output. What indication does the nurse have that this is occurring?
Blood pressure 80/46 mm Hg
Which medication reverses digitalis toxicity?
Digoxin immune FAB
The nurse recognizes which symptom as a classic sign of cardiogenic shock?
Restlessness and confusion
The nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). What condition most commonly results in CAD?
atherosclerosis
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."
A nurse is caring for a client with heart failure. The nurse knows that the client has left-sided heart failure when the client makes which statement?
"I sleep on three pillows each night."
A client is ordered a nitroglycerine transdermal patch for treatment of CAD and asks the nurse why the patch is removed at bedtime. Which is the best response by the nurse?
"Removing the patch at night prevents drug tolerance while keeping the benefits."
When providing discharge instructions for a client who has been prescribed sublingual nitroglycerin for angina, the nurse should plan to include which instructions?
"See if rest relieves the chest pain before using the nitroglycerin."
A client is receiving anticoagulant therapy. What question will the nurse ask the client to detect any signs of bleeding?
"What color is your urine?"
A client has just arrived in the ER with a possible myocardial infarction (MI). The electrocardiogram (ECG) should be obtained within which time frame of arrival to the ER?
10 minutes
A patient has missed 2 doses of digitalis. What laboratory results would indicate to the nurse that the patient is within therapeutic range?
2.0 mg/mL
A client is receiving intravenous heparin to prevent blood clots. The order is for heparin 1,200 units per hour. The pharmacy sends 25,000 units of heparin in 500 mL of D5W. At how many milliliters per hour will the nurse infuse this solution? Record your answer using a whole number.
24
A client has had an echocardiogram to measure ejection fraction. The nurse explains that ejection fraction is the percentage of blood the left ventricle ejects upon contraction. What is the typical percentage of blood a healthy heart ejects?
55%
To be effective, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) must be performed within what time frame, beginning with arrival at the emergency department after diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI)?
60 minutes
When the nurse notes that, after cardiac surgery, the client demonstrates low urine output (less than 25 mL/h) with high specific gravity (greater than 1.025), the nurse suspects which condition?
Inadequate fluid volume
Which is the most important postoperative assessment parameter for a client recovering from cardiac surgery?
Inadequate tissue perfusion
A nurse is caring for a client with left-sided heart failure. During the nurse's assessment, the client is wheezing, restless, tachycardic, and has severe apprehension. The nurse knows that these are symptoms of what?
Acute pulmonary edema
A patient is seen in the emergency department (ED) with heart failure secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy. What key diagnostic test does the nurse assess to determine the severity of the patient's heart failure?
B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)
A total artificial heart (TAH) is an electrically powered pump that circulates blood into the pulmonary artery and the aorta, thus replacing the functions of both the right and left ventricles. What makes it different from an LVAD?
An LVAD only supports a failing left ventricle.
Which term refers to chest pain brought on by physical or emotional stress and relieved by rest or medication?
Angina pectoris
The nurse is discussing cardiac hemodynamics with a nursing student. The nurse explains preload to the student and then asks the student what nursing interventions might cause increased preload. Which response by the student indicates understanding?
Application of antiembolic stockings
A client reports chest pain and heavy breathing when exercising or when stressed. Which is a priority nursing intervention for the client diagnosed with coronary artery disease?
Assess chest pain and administer prescribed drugs and oxygen
A nurse is caring for a client who is exhibiting signs and symptoms characteristic of a myocardial infarction (MI). Which statement describes priorities the nurse should establish while performing the physical assessment?
Assess the client's level of pain and administer prescribed analgesics.
The nurse understands that a client with which cardiac arrhythmia is most at risk for developing heart failure?
Atrial fibrillation
The nurse administers propranolol hydrochloride to a patient with a heart rate of 64 beats per minute (bpm). One hour later, the nurse observes the heart rate on the monitor to be 36 bpm. What medication should the nurse prepare to administer that is an antidote for the propranolol?
Atropine
The nurse is teaching a group of clients with heart failure about how to decrease leg edema. What dietary advice will the nurse give to clients with severe heart failure?
Avoid the intake of processed and commercially prepared foods.
Which is a diagnostic marker for inflammation of vascular endothelium?
C-reactive protein (CRP)
A patient in severe pulmonary edema is being intubated by the respiratory therapist. What priority action by the nurse will assist in the confirmation of tube placement in the proper position in the trachea?
Call for a chest x-ray.
A nurse is caring for a client in the cardiovascular intensive care unit following a coronary artery bypass graft. Which clinical finding requires immediate intervention by the nurse?
Central venous pressure reading of 1
A middle-aged client presents to the ED reporting severe chest discomfort. Which finding is most indicative of a possible myocardial infarction (MI)?
Chest discomfort not relieved by rest or nitroglycerin
A client with chronic heart failure is able to continue with his regular physical activity and does not have any limitations as to what he can do. According to the New York Heart Association (NYHA), what classification of chronic heart failure does this client have?
Class I (Mild)
Which medication is given to clients who are diagnosed with angina but are allergic to aspirin?
Clopidogrel
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?
Coronary artery disease
The nurse is to administer morphine sulfate to a client with chest pain. What initial nursing action is required prior to administration?
Count the respiratory rate for bradypnea.
The nurse is administering a calcium channel blocker to a patient who has symptomatic sinus tachycardia at a rate of 132 bpm. What is the anticipated action of the drug for this patient?
Decreases the sinoatrial node automaticity
Which is a modifiable risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD)?
Diabetes mellitus
A client is exhibiting digitalis toxicity. Which of the following medications would the nurse expect to be ordered for this client?
Digoxin immune FAB
The nurse assessing a client with an exacerbation of heart failure identifies which symptom as a cerebrovascular manifestation of heart failure (HF)?
Dizziness
The nurse is obtaining data on an older adult client. What finding may indicate to the nurse the early symptom of heart failure?
Dyspnea on exertion
Which diagnostic study is usually performed to confirm the diagnosis of heart failure?
Echocardiogram
A client comes to the emergency department reporting chest pain. An electrocardiogram (ECG) reveals myocardial ischemia and an anterior-wall myocardial infarction (MI). Which ECG characteristic does the nurse expect to see?
Elevated ST segment
A client has a significant history of congestive heart failure. What should the nurse specifically assess during the client's semiannual cardiology examination? Select all that apply.
Examine the client's neck for distended veins. Monitor the client for signs of lethargy or confusion.
A client with acute pericarditis is exhibiting distended jugular veins, tachycardia, tachypnea, and muffled heart sounds. The nurse recognizes these as symptoms of what occurrence?
Excess pericardial fluid compresses the heart and prevents adequate diastolic filling.
A client presents to the emergency room with characteristics of atherosclerosis. What characteristics would the client display?
Fatty deposits in the lumen of arteries
Which medication is categorized as a loop diuretic?
Furosemide
The nurse is caring for a client with suspected right-sided heart failure. What would the nurse know that clients with suspected right-sided heart failure may experience?
Gradual unexplained weight gain
A nurse is caring for a client experiencing dyspnea, dependent edema, hepatomegaly, crackles, and jugular vein distention. What condition should the nurse suspect?
Heart failure
The nurse is discussing risk factors for developing CAD with a patient in the clinic. Which results would indicate that the patient is not at significant risk for the development of CAD?
High-density lipoprotein (HDL), 80 mg/dL
A nurse is educating a community group about coronary artery disease. One member asks about how to avoid coronary artery disease. Which of the following items are considered modifiable risk factors for coronary artery disease? Choose all that apply.
Hyperlipidemia Obesity Tobacco use
A client is already being treated for hypertension. The doctor is concerned about the potential for heart failure, and has the client return for regular check-ups. What does hypertension have to do with heart failure?
Hypertension causes the heart's chambers to enlarge and weaken.
Which of the following is inconsistent as a condition related to metabolic syndrome?
Hypotension
Which New York Heart Association classification of heart failure has a poor prognosis and includes symptoms of cardiac insufficiency at rest?
IV
A nurse is teaching a client who receives nitrates for the relief of chest pain. Which instruction should the nurse emphasize?
Lie down or sit in a chair for 5 to 10 minutes after taking the drug.
Which technique is used to surgically revascularize the myocardium?
Minimally invasive direct coronary bypass
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 sulfate (Morphine)
The nurse is working in a long-term care facility with a group of older adults with cardiac disorders. Why would it be important for the nurse to closely monitor an older adult receiving digitalis preparations for cardiac disorders?
Older adults are at increased risk for toxicity.
The nurse is caring for a client following a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The nurse notes persistent oozing of bloody drainage from various puncture sites. The nurse anticipates that the physician will order which medication to neutralize the unfractionated heparin the client received?
Protamine sulfate
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)
A triage team is assessing a client to determine if reported chest pain is a manifestation of angina pectoris or an MI. The nurse knows that a primary distinction of angina pain is?
Relieved by rest and nitroglycerin
The nurse is caring for a client presenting to the emergency department (ED) reporting chest pain. Which electrocardiographic (ECG) finding would be most concerning to the nurse?
ST elevation
The nurse is educating the patient about administering nitroglycerin prior to discharge from the hospital. What information should the nurse include in the instructions?
Take a nitroglycerin and repeat every 5 minutes if the pain is not relieved until a total of 3 are taken. If pain is not relieved, activate the emergency medical system.
The client is prescribed nadolol for hypertension. What is the reason the nurse will teach the client not to stop taking the medication abruptly?
The abrupt stop can cause a myocardial infarction.
A client taking an ACE inhibitor has developed a dry, hacking cough. Because of this side effect, the client no longer wants to take that medication. What medication that has similar hemodynamic effects does the nurse anticipate the health care provider ordering?
Valsartan
A client has a myocardial infarction in the left ventricle and develops crackles bilaterally; 3-pillow orthopnea; an S3 heart sound; and a cough with pink, frothy sputum. The nurse obtains a pulse oximetry reading of 88%. What do these signs and symptoms indicate for this client?
The development of left-sided heart failure
A client with a history of heart failure is returning from the operating room after inguinal hernia repair and the nurse assesses a low pulse oximetry reading. What is the most important nursing intervention?
Titrate oxygen therapy.
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
When a client who has been diagnosed with angina pectoris reports experiencing chest pain more frequently, even at rest, that the period of pain is longer, and that it takes less stress for the pain to occur, the nurse recognizes that the client is describing which type of angina?
Unstable
The nurse knows that women and the elderly are at greater risk for a fatal myocardial event. Which factor is the primary contributor of this cause?
Vague symptoms
Which nursing intervention should the nurse perform when a client with valvular disorder of the heart has a heart rate less than 60 beats/min before administering beta-blockers?
Withhold the drug and inform the primary health care provider.
While auscultating the heart sounds of a client with heart failure, the nurse hears an extra heart sound immediately after the second heart sound (S2). How should the nurse document this sound?
a third heart sound (S3).
A client with left-sided heart failure reports increasing shortness of breath and is agitated and coughing up pink-tinged, foamy sputum. The nurse should recognize these findings as signs and symptoms of what condition?
acute pulmonary edema.
A client with chronic arterial occlusive disease undergoes percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for mechanical dilation of the right femoral artery. After the procedure, the client will be prescribed long-term administration of which drug?
aspirin or clopidogrel.
The nurse is beginning discharge teaching with a client diagnosed with a myocardial infarction (MI). The nurse will include teaching on what medications? Select all that apply
atorvastatin enalapril aspirin
The laboratory values for a client diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) have just come back from the lab. The client's low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level is 112 mg/dL. This nurses recognizes that this value is
high.
A client who has developed congestive heart failure must learn to make dietary adaptations. The client should avoid:
canned peas.
The nurse is admitting a client with frothy pink sputum. What does the nurse suspect is the primary underlying disorder of pulmonary edema?
decreased left ventricular pumping
Frequently, what is the earliest symptom of left-sided heart failure?
dyspnea on exertion
A client has been having cardiac symptoms for several months and is seeing a cardiologist for diagnostics to determine the cause. How will the client's ejection fraction be measured?
echocardiogram
A client returns for a follow-up visit to the cardiologist 4 days after a trip to the ED for sudden shortness of breath and abdominal pain. The nurse realizes the client had a myocardial infarction because the results from the blood work drawn in the hospital shows:
elevated troponin levels.
The nurse is teaching a client about medications prescribed for severe volume overload from heart failure. What diuretic is the first-line treatment for clients diagnosed with heart failure?
furosemide
A nurse is monitoring the vital signs and blood results of a client who is receiving anticoagulation therapy. What does nurse identify as a major indication of concern?
hematocrit of 30%
A client's lipid profile reveals an LDL level of 122 mg/dL. This is considered a:
high LDL level.
The nurse is caring for a client with heart failure who is receiving torsemide. What implementation will help the nurse evaluate the client's response of the medication?
measuring intake and output
A client has been admitted to the cardiac step-down unit with acute pulmonary edema. Which symptoms would the nurse expect to find during assessment?
moist, gurgling respirations
A client is prescribed digitalis medication. Which condition should the nurse closely monitor when caring for the client?
nausea and vomiting
When a client has increased difficulty breathing when lying flat, the nurse records that the client is demonstrating
orthopnea.
The nurse is assessing a client with suspected post-pericardiotomy syndrome after cardiac surgery. What manifestation will alert the nurse to this syndrome?
pericardial friction rub
The nurse is caring for a client after cardiac surgery. What is the most immediate concern for the nurse?
potassium level of 6 mEq/L
A client who was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of thrombophlebitis 1 day ago suddenly reports chest pain and shortness of breath and is visibly anxious. The nurse immediately assesses the client for other signs and symptoms of
pulmonary embolism.
A nurse suspects that a client has digoxin toxicity. The nurse should assess for:
vision changes.
A client with chronic heart failure is receiving digoxin 0.25 mg by mouth daily and furosemide 20 mg by mouth twice daily. The nurse should assess the client for what sign of digoxin toxicity?
visual disturbances.