Dysrhythmia Practice Questions

A client's cardiac monitor indicates multiple multifocal premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). The nurse expects that the treatment plan will include a prescription for which medication?

Amiodarone (Amiodarone has an antiarrhythmic action that stabilizes cell membranes of the heart, reducing cardiac excitability; it is used for acute ventricular dysrhythmias.)

A nurse identifies premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) on a client's cardiac monitor. What does the nurse conclude that these complexes are a sign of?

Cardiac irritability

A female client whose ECG exhibits multiple premature ventricular complexes is prescribed oral disopyramide. Which side effects should the nurse include when teaching the client about this drug?

Constipation Dry mouth

The nurse is caring for a client who is scheduled for an electrophysiology study (EPS) because of persistent ventricular tachycardia. Before the procedure the client is to receive a beta-blocker. What client's response during the procedure best indicates that the beta-blocker is working effectively? Decreased anxiety Reduced chest pain Decreased heart rate Increased blood pressure

Decreased HR

A client with left ventricular heart failure is taking digoxin 0.25 mg daily. What changes does the nurse expect to find if this medication is therapeutically effective?

Diuresis Decreased HR Decreased edema

A nurse in the coronary care unit (CCU) identifies ventricular fibrillation on a client's cardiac monitor. What intervention is the priority?

Immediate defibrillation

The nurse is caring for a client who has had frequent premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) and monitors the client closely for ventricular fibrillation. The nurse recalls that the risk for ventricular fibrillation is greatest during which phase of the cardiac cycle?

T wave

What should the nurse suggest for a client with right ventricular failure?

Avoid emotionally stressful situations.

A nurse is caring for a client with the diagnosis of right ventricular failure. Which condition unrelated to cardiac disease is the major cause of right ventricular failure? Renal disease Hypovolemic shock Severe systemic infection Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

COPD

A client who takes high-dose aspirin for arthritis has an acute episode of right ventricular heart failure. The healthcare provider prescribes furosemide and lowers the client's usual dosage of aspirin. The client asks the nurse the reason for the lower dose. On what principle does the nurse base a response? Aspirin accelerates metabolism of furosemide and decreases the diuretic effect. Incorrect Aspirin in large doses after an acute stress episode increases the bleeding potential. Competition for renal excretion sites by the drugs causes increased serum levels of aspirin. Use of furosemide and aspirin concomitantly increases formation of uric acid crystals in the nephron.

Competition for renal excretion sites by the drugs causes increased serum levels of aspirin. Because furosemide and aspirin compete for the same renal excretory sites, salicylate toxicity may occur even with lower dosages.

A nurse is caring for a client with a diagnosis of right ventricular heart failure. The nurse expects what assessment findings associated with right-sided heart failure? Select all that apply. Dependent edema Swollen hands and fingers Collapsed neck veins Right upper quadrant discomfort Oliguria

Dependent edema Swollen hands and fingers Right upper quadrant discomfort

A client with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) has a heart rate of 170 beats per minute. Following treatment with diltiazem hydrochloride, what assessment indicates to the nurse that the diltiazem hydrochloride is effective?

HR of 110 beats per minute. Diltiazem hydrochloride's purpose is to slow down the heart rate. SVT has a heart rate of 150 to 250 beats per minute. A heart rate of 110 indicates that the diltiazem hydrochloride is having the desired effect. Hypotension is a side effect of diltiazem hydrochloride, not a desired effect

A client experiences crushing chest pain and is brought to the emergency department. When assessing the electrocardiogram (ECG) tracing, the nurse concludes that the client is experiencing premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). Which abnormalities of the ECG support this conclusion?

Irregular rhythm, absence of a P wave, and wide and distorted QRS

The nurse is interpreting an electrocardiogram rhythm. What part of the electrical pattern represents ventricular contraction?

QRS Interval

A client with a history of hypertension and left ventricular failure arrives for a scheduled clinic appointment and tells the nurse, "My feet are killing me. These shoes got so tight." What is the nurse's best initial action?

Listen to the client's breath sounds.

What will the nurse include when developing a teaching plan for a client receiving digoxin for left ventricular failure? Sleep flat in bed Follow a low-potassium diet Take the pulse three times a day Rest periodically throughout the day

Rest periodically throughout the day. *The client needs potassium. A low-potassium diet when the client is taking digoxin predisposes the client to toxicity and dangerous dysrhythmias. *