ATI RN
Cardiovascular System Exam Questions
1. The healthcare provider is monitoring a client receiving lidocaine IV. What side effect is the healthcare provider most concerned about?
- A. Severe headache
- B. Nausea and vomiting
- C. Seizures
- D. Tremors
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Seizures are the most concerning side effect of lidocaine IV administration due to its potential to indicate lidocaine toxicity, which can lead to serious complications such as cardiovascular collapse. Headache, nausea, and tremors are not typically associated with lidocaine IV and are less concerning compared to seizures in this context.
2. The nurse is giving nitroglycerin sublingually for chest pain. What is the most important instruction to give to the client?
- A. Place the tablet under the tongue and let it dissolve completely.
- B. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water.
- C. Chew the tablet and then swallow it.
- D. Take one tablet every 5 minutes until pain is relieved.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. The tablet should be placed under the tongue and allowed to dissolve completely to ensure rapid absorption. This route of administration allows the medication to be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Choice B is incorrect because nitroglycerin is meant to be absorbed sublingually, not swallowed. Choice C is incorrect as chewing the tablet can cause the medication to be rapidly absorbed, leading to adverse effects like a drop in blood pressure. Choice D is incorrect because the client should take only one tablet every 5 minutes up to a maximum of three tablets for chest pain relief.
3. What is the procedure where a small mesh tube is inserted into an artery to keep it open after angioplasty?
- A. Stent placement
- B. Bypass surgery
- C. Angioplasty
- D. Valve replacement
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A, stent placement. Stent placement involves inserting a small mesh tube into an artery to maintain its openness after angioplasty. This choice is correct because it directly describes the procedure mentioned in the question. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. Bypass surgery involves rerouting blood flow around a blocked artery using a vessel from another part of the body. Angioplasty is the procedure of widening a narrowed or blocked blood vessel, often followed by stent placement. Valve replacement is a surgical procedure to replace a damaged or diseased heart valve with an artificial or biological valve.
4. Which of the following is a central vasoconstrictor and peripheral vasodilator?
- A. Parasympathetic nervous system
- B. Sympathetic nervous system
- C. Dopamine
- D. Epinephrine
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D, Epinephrine. Epinephrine acts as a central vasoconstrictor and peripheral vasodilator. It increases heart rate and blood flow to muscles, helping to prepare the body for a 'fight or flight' response. Parasympathetic nervous system (choice A) does not cause vasoconstriction but rather vasodilation. The sympathetic nervous system (choice B) is primarily responsible for the fight or flight response, causing vasoconstriction. Dopamine (choice C) primarily acts as a neurotransmitter and hormone, not directly causing central vasoconstriction and peripheral vasodilation.
5. The healthcare provider is preparing to administer heparin to a client. What lab value should be monitored?
- A. PT/INR
- B. aPTT
- C. Platelet count
- D. Hemoglobin
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct lab value that should be monitored when administering heparin is the aPTT (activated partial thromboplastin time). Heparin affects the intrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade, and aPTT is a sensitive measure to assess the effectiveness of heparin therapy. Monitoring aPTT helps in adjusting the heparin dose to maintain the desired anticoagulant effect. PT/INR is more specific to monitor warfarin therapy, not heparin. Platelet count and hemoglobin levels are important parameters to assess bleeding tendencies and oxygen-carrying capacity but are not directly related to monitoring heparin therapy.
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