Alterations in Cardiac Function Practice Questions
Which client is most likely to be experiencing vasodilation?
A 51-year-old man with a history of hypertension who is taking a medication that blocks the effect of the renin--angiotensin--aldosterone system.
A client is admitted to the cardiac unit with a diagnosis of pericarditis. The nurse is teaching the patient about the anatomical location of the infection. The nurse evaluates the effectiveness of the teaching when the client correctly identifies which of the following as the location of the pericardium?
A membranous sac that encloses the heart
A grandmother, a cook at a nearby school, was recently hospitalized when she lost an extensive amount of blood in a work-related accident. The grandmother tells the nurse that she heard that she would keep feeling faint until the brain made more blood. The nurse knows that when the blood pressure dropped, the pressure in the carotid arteries decreased. This was detected by baroreceptors in the carotid arteries. What did the baroreceptors do?
Increase sympathetic stimulation of the heart and blood vessels
During ventricular systole, closure of the atrioventricular (AV) valves coincides with which physiologic event?
Isovolumetric contraction
A nurse is assessing a client who lost consciousness during a wrestling match when his opponent applied a neck hold. The client likely lost consciousness because:
a baroreceptor was stimulated
When explaining a new diagnosis of complete heart block to a client/family, the nurse should include which of the following statements?
"One consequence of this type of block is a very slow heart rate that limits circulation to the brain."
In the days following a tooth cleaning and root canal, a client has developed an infection of the thin, three-layered membrane that lines the heart and covers the valves. What is this client's most likely diagnosis?
Endocarditis
Although pressure pulses usually are not transmitted to the capillaries, there are situations in which this does occur. Under what conditions do cardiac pulsations occur? Select all that apply.
- Aortic Regurgitation - Patent ductus arteriosus
A client has had a myocardial infarction (MI) that damaged the right atrium, which has interfered with the SA node. The compensatory mechanism, the AV node, becomes the pacemaker of the heart and beats how many times/minute?
45 to 50 beats/ minute
Following several weeks of increasing fatigue and a subsequent diagnostic workup, a client has been diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation. Failure of this heart valve would have which of the following consequences?
Backflow from the left ventricle to left atrium
A client has just experienced stimulation of the vagus nerve. Which of the following would the nurse anticipate to manifest in this client?
Decreased heart rate
A client has experienced sympathetic nervous stimulation of the heart. The nurse is aware that the client may manifest which of the following?
Increased heart rate and increased contractility
Nitroglycerin is the drug of choice in treating angina. What does nitroglycerin release into the vascular smooth muscle of the target tissues?
Nitric oxide
A client has had an acute myocardial infarction. The brother of the client has a history of angina. The client asks how they will know if the brother's pain is angina or if the brother is actually having an MI. Which statement is correct?
Rest and intake of nitroglycerin relieve chest pain with angina; they do not relieve chest pain with an MI.
A client has prominent jugular veins. What type of medical problem is associated with prominent jugular veins?
Right sided heart failure
A nurse is explaining the conduction system of the heart to a client who is experiencing an arrhythmia. Which would be the most appropriate explanation?
Sinoatrial node (SA), internodal pathways, AV node, AV bundle, Purkinje fibers
A client who lives with angina pectoris has taken a sublingual dose of nitroglycerin to treat the chest pain he experiences while mowing his lawn. This drug facilitates release of nitric oxide, which will have what physiologic effect?
Smooth muscle relaxation of vessels
The heart and blood vessels receive both sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation from neural control. What controls the parasympathetic-mediated slowing of the heart rate?
The cardioinhibitory center
Downstream peripheral pulses have a higher pulse pressure because the pressure wave travels faster than the blood itself. What occurs in peripheral arterial disease?
The pulse decreases rather than increases in amplitude.
The troponin complex is one of a number of important proteins that regulate actin-myosin binding. Troponin works in striated muscle to help regulate calcium-mediated contraction of the muscle. Which of the troponin complexes are diagnostic of a myocardial infarction?
Troponin T and troponin I
