BSN 445: WEEK 4: CARDIOVASCULAR CLINICAL ASSESSMENT:
TEST QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
1) Which intervention would the nurse implement for a patient experiencing
hypotension during a cardiac catheterization?
- Temporary pacing
- Atropine administration
- Fluid administration
- Systemic heparin -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Fluid administration
Intravenous fluid administration is used to treat hypotension.
2) Which intervention would the nurse include in the plan of care for a patient who
underwent cardiac catheterization via femoral access 5 minutes ago? Select all
that apply. One, some, or all responses may be correct.
- Assess peripheral pulses every hour.
- Administer intravenous fluid.
- Maintain the head of the bed at less than 15 degrees.
- Monitor the femoral site for bleeding or hematoma formation.
- Encourage ambulation and incentive spirometer use. -- Correct
Answer ✔✔ Administer intravenous fluid. Intravenous fluids are
administered after the procedure to limit the renal damage from the
radiopaque dye that is used.
, Maintain the head of the bed at less than 15 degrees. The patient should
remain flat (less than 15 degrees) after cardiac catheterization to promote
hemostasis at the femoral access site.
Monitor the femoral site for bleeding or hematoma formation. The access site
should be closely monitored for bleeding or the development of a hematoma.
3) The nurse is assisting in an electrophysiology study for a patient with repeated
episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Electrical stimulation in which
area would most likely initiate ventricular tachycardia?
- Sinus node
- Atrioventricular node
- Left atrium
- Right ventricular outflow tract -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Right
ventricular outflow tract
Stimulation of the right ventricular outflow tract produces VT in most patients
with a known history of VT or VF.
4) Which structure would be classified as moderately dense and appear gray on a
chest radiograph?
- Lung tissue
- Clavicle
- Heart
- Pacing wires -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Heart
The heart is moderately dense and appears gray.
5) Which action would the nurse take to ensure accurate chest radiography?
- Position the patient supine in bed.
- Ensure the patient is only mildly twisted.
- Encourage the patient to exhale during imaging.
- Remove extrinsic tubing from the thorax. -- Correct Answer ✔✔
Remove extrinsic tubing from the thorax.
, Extrinsic tubing and equipment should be removed to ensure accurate
imaging.
6) Which chest radiograph finding would indicate the presence of pulmonary edema
from left-sided heart failure?
- Diffuse bilateral infiltrates
- Black spaces over lung tissue
- White areas concentrated over the hilar region
- Interspersed white areas throughout the lung fields -- Correct
Answer ✔✔ White areas concentrated over the hilar region
If the pulmonary edema is caused by heart failure, the fluid would produce
white areas concentrated in the hilar region (origin of the major pulmonary
vessels).
7) Which clinical finding would cause the nurse to stop a treadmill stress test?
- Increased heart rate
- Diaphoresis
- ST depression of 1.0 mm
- Pallor -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Pallor
Signs of poor perfusion, such as pallor, indicate a need to stop the test.
8) Which complication would the nurse closely monitor for during transesophageal
echocardiogram?
- Esophageal bleeding
- Tachycardia
- Hypertension
- Liver cirrhosis -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Esophageal bleeding
Esophageal bleeding is a potential complication of transesophageal
echocardiogram, especially if the patient is on anticoagulants.
9) Which function does a two-dimensional echocardiogram provide?
- Direct measurement of left ventricle wall mass
, - Anatomic views of the interior of the coronary arteries
- Direct visualization of intracardiac structures
- Visualization of the entire thoracic aorta -- Correct Answer ✔✔
Direct measurement of left ventricle wall mass
A two-dimensional echocardiogram can provide direct measurement of the
left ventricle wall mass and volume.
10) The presence of which device would be a contraindication for magnetic
resonance imaging?
- Nonmetal electrocardiogram electrodes
- Aneurysm clips
- Newly implanted defibrillator
- Small superficial shrapnel piece -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Aneurysm
clips
Aneurysm clips are composed of ferromagnetic materials and can experience
significant torque when exposed to the magnetic field.
11) Which complication would the nurse closely monitor for during coronary
computed tomography angiography (CCTA)?
- Complete heart block
- Hepatic failure
- Severe renal insufficiency
- Anemia -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Severe renal insufficiency
The dye used during CCTA can cause severe renal insufficiency.
12) Which imaging study does a stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) scan
utilize?
- Positron emission tomography
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Chest radiography
- Echocardiogram -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Positron emission
tomography
Positron emission tomography or single-photon emission computed
tomography are the imaging studies used during stress myocardial perfusion
imaging.
TEST QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
1) Which intervention would the nurse implement for a patient experiencing
hypotension during a cardiac catheterization?
- Temporary pacing
- Atropine administration
- Fluid administration
- Systemic heparin -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Fluid administration
Intravenous fluid administration is used to treat hypotension.
2) Which intervention would the nurse include in the plan of care for a patient who
underwent cardiac catheterization via femoral access 5 minutes ago? Select all
that apply. One, some, or all responses may be correct.
- Assess peripheral pulses every hour.
- Administer intravenous fluid.
- Maintain the head of the bed at less than 15 degrees.
- Monitor the femoral site for bleeding or hematoma formation.
- Encourage ambulation and incentive spirometer use. -- Correct
Answer ✔✔ Administer intravenous fluid. Intravenous fluids are
administered after the procedure to limit the renal damage from the
radiopaque dye that is used.
, Maintain the head of the bed at less than 15 degrees. The patient should
remain flat (less than 15 degrees) after cardiac catheterization to promote
hemostasis at the femoral access site.
Monitor the femoral site for bleeding or hematoma formation. The access site
should be closely monitored for bleeding or the development of a hematoma.
3) The nurse is assisting in an electrophysiology study for a patient with repeated
episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Electrical stimulation in which
area would most likely initiate ventricular tachycardia?
- Sinus node
- Atrioventricular node
- Left atrium
- Right ventricular outflow tract -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Right
ventricular outflow tract
Stimulation of the right ventricular outflow tract produces VT in most patients
with a known history of VT or VF.
4) Which structure would be classified as moderately dense and appear gray on a
chest radiograph?
- Lung tissue
- Clavicle
- Heart
- Pacing wires -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Heart
The heart is moderately dense and appears gray.
5) Which action would the nurse take to ensure accurate chest radiography?
- Position the patient supine in bed.
- Ensure the patient is only mildly twisted.
- Encourage the patient to exhale during imaging.
- Remove extrinsic tubing from the thorax. -- Correct Answer ✔✔
Remove extrinsic tubing from the thorax.
, Extrinsic tubing and equipment should be removed to ensure accurate
imaging.
6) Which chest radiograph finding would indicate the presence of pulmonary edema
from left-sided heart failure?
- Diffuse bilateral infiltrates
- Black spaces over lung tissue
- White areas concentrated over the hilar region
- Interspersed white areas throughout the lung fields -- Correct
Answer ✔✔ White areas concentrated over the hilar region
If the pulmonary edema is caused by heart failure, the fluid would produce
white areas concentrated in the hilar region (origin of the major pulmonary
vessels).
7) Which clinical finding would cause the nurse to stop a treadmill stress test?
- Increased heart rate
- Diaphoresis
- ST depression of 1.0 mm
- Pallor -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Pallor
Signs of poor perfusion, such as pallor, indicate a need to stop the test.
8) Which complication would the nurse closely monitor for during transesophageal
echocardiogram?
- Esophageal bleeding
- Tachycardia
- Hypertension
- Liver cirrhosis -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Esophageal bleeding
Esophageal bleeding is a potential complication of transesophageal
echocardiogram, especially if the patient is on anticoagulants.
9) Which function does a two-dimensional echocardiogram provide?
- Direct measurement of left ventricle wall mass
, - Anatomic views of the interior of the coronary arteries
- Direct visualization of intracardiac structures
- Visualization of the entire thoracic aorta -- Correct Answer ✔✔
Direct measurement of left ventricle wall mass
A two-dimensional echocardiogram can provide direct measurement of the
left ventricle wall mass and volume.
10) The presence of which device would be a contraindication for magnetic
resonance imaging?
- Nonmetal electrocardiogram electrodes
- Aneurysm clips
- Newly implanted defibrillator
- Small superficial shrapnel piece -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Aneurysm
clips
Aneurysm clips are composed of ferromagnetic materials and can experience
significant torque when exposed to the magnetic field.
11) Which complication would the nurse closely monitor for during coronary
computed tomography angiography (CCTA)?
- Complete heart block
- Hepatic failure
- Severe renal insufficiency
- Anemia -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Severe renal insufficiency
The dye used during CCTA can cause severe renal insufficiency.
12) Which imaging study does a stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) scan
utilize?
- Positron emission tomography
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Chest radiography
- Echocardiogram -- Correct Answer ✔✔ Positron emission
tomography
Positron emission tomography or single-photon emission computed
tomography are the imaging studies used during stress myocardial perfusion
imaging.
