BKAT Study Guide – Nursing Aptitude Test Preparation & Core Concept
Review Material
What to do first if patient has chest pain. - ✔✔Rest!
ECG changes in an acute MI - ✔✔ST elevation in 2 or more contiguous leads. Ischemia d/t full
thickness loss of muscle. EMERGENCY.
Inferior leads - ✔✔II, III, aVF. RCA occlusion.
Septal leads - ✔✔V1 & V2.
Anterior leads - ✔✔V1 - V4. LAD lesion.
Lateral leads - ✔✔V5, V6, I, and aVL. Circumflex lesion.
Cardiac enzymes - ✔✔Troponins, CK-MB, and CK
Changes in CK - ✔✔Rise: 3-6 hours
Peak: 24 hours
Normal: 3-4 days
Changes in CK-MB - ✔✔Released after myocardial necrosis. Specific for myocardial damage.
Rise: 3-12 hours
Peak: 24 hours
Normal: 2-3 days
,Troponin I - ✔✔Protein found in cardiac muscle. High sensitivity.
Rise: 3-12 hours
Peak: 24 hours
Normal: 5-10 days
Troponin T - ✔✔Protein found in cardiac muscle. High sensitivity.
Rise: 3-12 hours
Peak: 12-48 hours
Normal: 5-14 days
Common conditions that cause a murmur - ✔✔Aortic dissection, aortic regurgitation (both
acute & chronic), mitral valve regurgitation (both acute & chronic), mitral valve stenosis
Drugs to decrease afterload/SVR/PVR - ✔✔(Arterial Dilators) Nitroprusside, nitroglycerin,
amrinone, alpha (Regitine) & Ca channel blockers
Drugs to increased afterload/SVR/PVR - ✔✔(Vasopressors) Epinepherine, norepinepherine,
dopamine, neosynephrine
Drugs to decrease contractility/SVI - ✔✔Beta blockers (atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol,
labetolol, esmolol) and Ca channel blockers
Drugs to increase contractility/SVI - ✔✔Positive inotropes, dobutamine, dopamine, milrinone,
and digoxin
Drugs to decrease preload/CVP/PAWP - ✔✔Venous Dilators - Nitroglycerin, nitroprusside,
amrinone, alpha & Ca channel blockers
, Diuretics - Furosemide, bumex, mannitol
Drugs to increase preload/CVP/PAWP - ✔✔Volume - Colloid, crystalloids, blood, hetastarch
Dysrhythmia control - antirhythmics, pacemaker, AICD
Complications when using thrombolytics - ✔✔Allergic reaction, bleeding/hemorrhage, stroke
Failure to capture - ✔✔Pacer delivers a stimulus at the appropriate time but no depolarization
occurs. No P or QRS wave after pacer spike.
Failure to fire/pace - ✔✔No pacer spikes seen
Failure to sense - ✔✔Pacemaker does not detects heart's intrinsic activity or interprets
noncardiac activity as intrinsic activity. Spikes in inappropriate times.
Normal PR - ✔✔0.12 - 0.20
Normal QRS - ✔✔0.04-0.10
Normal QT - ✔✔Less than 0.48. Varies by age, HR, and gender.
Vasopressors - ✔✔Epinepherine, norepinepherine, dopamine, phenylephrine/neosynephrine,
vasopressin/pitressin, milrinone/Primacor, dobutamine/Dobutrex
Indication for dopamine/Intropin - ✔✔Acts on SNS to increased HR and BP. Indicated for
hypotension, low CO, decreased renal blood flow. Use if patient is bradycardic.
Review Material
What to do first if patient has chest pain. - ✔✔Rest!
ECG changes in an acute MI - ✔✔ST elevation in 2 or more contiguous leads. Ischemia d/t full
thickness loss of muscle. EMERGENCY.
Inferior leads - ✔✔II, III, aVF. RCA occlusion.
Septal leads - ✔✔V1 & V2.
Anterior leads - ✔✔V1 - V4. LAD lesion.
Lateral leads - ✔✔V5, V6, I, and aVL. Circumflex lesion.
Cardiac enzymes - ✔✔Troponins, CK-MB, and CK
Changes in CK - ✔✔Rise: 3-6 hours
Peak: 24 hours
Normal: 3-4 days
Changes in CK-MB - ✔✔Released after myocardial necrosis. Specific for myocardial damage.
Rise: 3-12 hours
Peak: 24 hours
Normal: 2-3 days
,Troponin I - ✔✔Protein found in cardiac muscle. High sensitivity.
Rise: 3-12 hours
Peak: 24 hours
Normal: 5-10 days
Troponin T - ✔✔Protein found in cardiac muscle. High sensitivity.
Rise: 3-12 hours
Peak: 12-48 hours
Normal: 5-14 days
Common conditions that cause a murmur - ✔✔Aortic dissection, aortic regurgitation (both
acute & chronic), mitral valve regurgitation (both acute & chronic), mitral valve stenosis
Drugs to decrease afterload/SVR/PVR - ✔✔(Arterial Dilators) Nitroprusside, nitroglycerin,
amrinone, alpha (Regitine) & Ca channel blockers
Drugs to increased afterload/SVR/PVR - ✔✔(Vasopressors) Epinepherine, norepinepherine,
dopamine, neosynephrine
Drugs to decrease contractility/SVI - ✔✔Beta blockers (atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol,
labetolol, esmolol) and Ca channel blockers
Drugs to increase contractility/SVI - ✔✔Positive inotropes, dobutamine, dopamine, milrinone,
and digoxin
Drugs to decrease preload/CVP/PAWP - ✔✔Venous Dilators - Nitroglycerin, nitroprusside,
amrinone, alpha & Ca channel blockers
, Diuretics - Furosemide, bumex, mannitol
Drugs to increase preload/CVP/PAWP - ✔✔Volume - Colloid, crystalloids, blood, hetastarch
Dysrhythmia control - antirhythmics, pacemaker, AICD
Complications when using thrombolytics - ✔✔Allergic reaction, bleeding/hemorrhage, stroke
Failure to capture - ✔✔Pacer delivers a stimulus at the appropriate time but no depolarization
occurs. No P or QRS wave after pacer spike.
Failure to fire/pace - ✔✔No pacer spikes seen
Failure to sense - ✔✔Pacemaker does not detects heart's intrinsic activity or interprets
noncardiac activity as intrinsic activity. Spikes in inappropriate times.
Normal PR - ✔✔0.12 - 0.20
Normal QRS - ✔✔0.04-0.10
Normal QT - ✔✔Less than 0.48. Varies by age, HR, and gender.
Vasopressors - ✔✔Epinepherine, norepinepherine, dopamine, phenylephrine/neosynephrine,
vasopressin/pitressin, milrinone/Primacor, dobutamine/Dobutrex
Indication for dopamine/Intropin - ✔✔Acts on SNS to increased HR and BP. Indicated for
hypotension, low CO, decreased renal blood flow. Use if patient is bradycardic.
