CLASS 6 INTRO TO PERFUSION NCLEX EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
WITH RATIONALES LATEST UPDATE
1. Stroke volume plays an important part in cardiac output. Select all the
factors below that influence stroke volume:*
A. Heart rate
B. Preload
C. Contractility
D. Afterload
E. Blood pressure
The answers are B, C, and D.
Preload, afterload, and contractility all have a role with influencing stroke
volume.
2. Which treatments below would decrease cardiac preload? Select all that
apply:*
A. IV fluid bolus
B. Norepinephrine
C. Nitroglycerin
D. Furosemide
The answers are C and D.
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,Nitroglycerin is a vasodilator that will dilate vessels, which will decrease
venous return to the heart and this will decrease preload. Furosemide is a
diuretic which will remove extra fluid from the body via the kidneys. This will
decrease venous return to the heart and decrease preload. An IV fluid bolus and
Norepinephrine (a vasoconstrictor) will increase venous return to the heart and
increase preload.
3. A patient has a blood pressure of 220/140. The physician prescribes a
vasodilator. This medication will?*
A. Decrease the patient’s blood pressure and increase cardiac afterload
B. Decrease the patient’s blood pressure and decrease cardiac afterload
C. Decrease the patient’s blood pressure and increase cardiac preload
D. Increase the patient’s blood pressure but decrease cardiac output.
The answer is B.
The patient has a high systemic vascular resistance...as evidence by the patient's
blood blood....there is vasoconstriction and this is resulting in the high blood
pressure. Therefore, right now, the cardiac afterload is high because the
ventricle must overcome this high pressure in order to pump blood out of the
heart. If a vasodilator is given, it will decrease the blood pressure (hence the
systemic vascular resistance) and this will decrease the cardiac afterload. The
amount of the pressure the ventricle must pump against will decrease (cardiac
afterload decrease) because the blood pressure will go down (hence the
systemic vascular resistance).
4. What conditions below can result in an increased cardiac afterload?
Select all that apply:*
A. Vasoconstriction
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, B. Aortic stenosis
C. Vasodilation
D. Dehydration
E. Pulmonary Hypertension
The answers are A, B, and E.
Vasoconstriction increases systemic vascular resistance which will increase
cardiac afterload. It will increase the pressure the ventricle must pump against
to open the semilunar valves to get blood out of the heart. Aortic stenosis
creates an outflow of blood obstruction for the ventricle (specifically the left
ventricle) and this will increase the pressure the ventricle must pump against to
get blood out through the aortic valve. Pulmonary hypertension increases
pulmonary vascular resistance which will increase the pressure the right
ventricle must overcome to open the pulmonic valve to get blood out of the
heart....all of this increase cardiac afterload.
5. Which statement below best describes the term cardiac preload?
A. The pressure the ventricles stretch at the end of systole.
B. The amount the ventricles stretch at the end of diastole.
C. The pressure the ventricles must work against to pump blood out of the heart.
D. The strength of the myocardial cells to shorten with each beat.
The answer is B. Cardiac preload is the amount the ventricles stretch at the end
of diastole (the filling or relaxation phase of the heart).
6. Select the statement below that best describes cardiac afterload:*
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QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
WITH RATIONALES LATEST UPDATE
1. Stroke volume plays an important part in cardiac output. Select all the
factors below that influence stroke volume:*
A. Heart rate
B. Preload
C. Contractility
D. Afterload
E. Blood pressure
The answers are B, C, and D.
Preload, afterload, and contractility all have a role with influencing stroke
volume.
2. Which treatments below would decrease cardiac preload? Select all that
apply:*
A. IV fluid bolus
B. Norepinephrine
C. Nitroglycerin
D. Furosemide
The answers are C and D.
Page | 1
,Nitroglycerin is a vasodilator that will dilate vessels, which will decrease
venous return to the heart and this will decrease preload. Furosemide is a
diuretic which will remove extra fluid from the body via the kidneys. This will
decrease venous return to the heart and decrease preload. An IV fluid bolus and
Norepinephrine (a vasoconstrictor) will increase venous return to the heart and
increase preload.
3. A patient has a blood pressure of 220/140. The physician prescribes a
vasodilator. This medication will?*
A. Decrease the patient’s blood pressure and increase cardiac afterload
B. Decrease the patient’s blood pressure and decrease cardiac afterload
C. Decrease the patient’s blood pressure and increase cardiac preload
D. Increase the patient’s blood pressure but decrease cardiac output.
The answer is B.
The patient has a high systemic vascular resistance...as evidence by the patient's
blood blood....there is vasoconstriction and this is resulting in the high blood
pressure. Therefore, right now, the cardiac afterload is high because the
ventricle must overcome this high pressure in order to pump blood out of the
heart. If a vasodilator is given, it will decrease the blood pressure (hence the
systemic vascular resistance) and this will decrease the cardiac afterload. The
amount of the pressure the ventricle must pump against will decrease (cardiac
afterload decrease) because the blood pressure will go down (hence the
systemic vascular resistance).
4. What conditions below can result in an increased cardiac afterload?
Select all that apply:*
A. Vasoconstriction
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, B. Aortic stenosis
C. Vasodilation
D. Dehydration
E. Pulmonary Hypertension
The answers are A, B, and E.
Vasoconstriction increases systemic vascular resistance which will increase
cardiac afterload. It will increase the pressure the ventricle must pump against
to open the semilunar valves to get blood out of the heart. Aortic stenosis
creates an outflow of blood obstruction for the ventricle (specifically the left
ventricle) and this will increase the pressure the ventricle must pump against to
get blood out through the aortic valve. Pulmonary hypertension increases
pulmonary vascular resistance which will increase the pressure the right
ventricle must overcome to open the pulmonic valve to get blood out of the
heart....all of this increase cardiac afterload.
5. Which statement below best describes the term cardiac preload?
A. The pressure the ventricles stretch at the end of systole.
B. The amount the ventricles stretch at the end of diastole.
C. The pressure the ventricles must work against to pump blood out of the heart.
D. The strength of the myocardial cells to shorten with each beat.
The answer is B. Cardiac preload is the amount the ventricles stretch at the end
of diastole (the filling or relaxation phase of the heart).
6. Select the statement below that best describes cardiac afterload:*
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