NUR 265 – CARDIOVASCULAR
QUESTIONS AND ANSWRS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS 100%
CORECT RATED A+
Question: What is Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)?
✔✔ Answer: An overarching clinical umbrella term used to categorize acute
cardiac conditions stemming from an abrupt restriction of blood supply to the heart
muscle (sudden myocardial ischemia). This spectrum encompasses both unstable
angina and acute myocardial infarctions (heart attacks).
Question: How is afterload defined in cardiovascular physiology?
✔✔ Answer: The precise amount of pressure or vascular resistance that the heart’s
ventricles must overcome and pump against in order to successfully push blood out
into the systemic circulatory system.
Question: What does cardiac contractility refer to?
✔✔ Answer: The intrinsic strength and mechanical force generated by the
myocardium (heart muscle) during a single contraction or heartbeat.
Question: What is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and what are its
consequences?
✔✔ Answer: A progressive cardiovascular condition where structural blockages
or narrowing within the coronary vessels restrict blood flow. This creates a
dangerous mismatch where myocardial oxygen demands exceed the available
supply, directly leading to oxygen deprivation in the heart tissues (myocardial
ischemia).
• Atherosclerosis is most common cause
Coronary Artery Disease -ANSWER ✔✔4 primary risk factors: smoking, DM
(especially in women), HTN, high cholesterol
• LDL greater than 100
,• Patho:
- localized accumulation of lipids and fibrous tissue within coronary arteries.
- Narrowing of lumen.
- Increased myocardial oxygen demand, ischemia, chance of MI
• Results of myocardial ischemia - angina pectoris, acute MI and death
• ACS - unstable angina and MI
Preload -ANSWER ✔✔The volume of blood distending the ventricles at end-
diastole
• The amount of blood waiting to be pumped into systemic circulation
• S&S of elevated preload: anorexia, nausea, abdominal pain
Starling's Law -ANSWER ✔✔States that the cardiac muscle fibers stretch to a
certain point
• This stretching allows for a more forceful contraction, thus increasing the stroke
volume and venous return to the heart
• Causes a temporary improvement in cardiac output.
• However, once the cardiac fibers stretch beyond a certain point then the cardiac
output decreases
• Relates to preload
Stroke Volume -ANSWER ✔✔The amount of blood ejected by the heart with each
beat
Transmural Myocardial Infarction -ANSWER ✔✔A MI which involves the entire
thickness of the cardiac muscles
,Heart Disease -ANSWER ✔✔S&S in Women
• Fatigue, lethargy,
• Heaviness or squeezing pain left chest, abdomen, mid back, arm, shoulder
without midchest pain
• Palpitations, ingestion, nausea, indigestion
• Numbness of hands, sharp fleeting pain, chest discomfort during rest or sleep or
with other symptoms during exertion.
• Chest discomfort includes burning stabbing tingling
Diagnostic Test -ANSWER ✔✔• EKG: detects myocardial ischemia.
- T wave and ST segment changes occur when patient is symptomatic.
- Returns to normal when patient is free of symptoms
• Exercise Electrocardiography (stress test) - Evaluates functional capacity of heart
- Evokes symptoms under controlled conditions to progressively increase O2
demand
- Treadmill or bike
- If positive then patient is experiencing symptoms
- EKG hangers, chest pain, vertigo, sob, BP changes
Diagnostic Test -ANSWER ✔✔Testing Women
• EKG less likely to have concurrent st segment elevation
• Stress test false positive more common
• Exercise echocardiography more reliable
• Heart cath with angiography most reliable but due to invasive nature should only
be used if strong suspicion is present
, Blood Pressure -ANSWER ✔✔Is controlled by blood flow and peripheral vascular
resistance
• Blood flow is affected by heart rate and amount of blood ejected by heart with
each beat (SV).
- Faster heart beat = less perfusion
• Peripheral Vascular Resistance affected by viscosity of blood (anticoagulant,
synthetic hormones thicken blood (birth control) and dilation or constriction of
blood vessel
• Internal mechanisms that affect dilation/constriction of vessels: baroreceptors,
SNS, renin-angiotensin aldosterone system
Blood Pressure -ANSWER ✔✔• Normal BP: systolic 120 or less, diastolic 80 or
less
• Pre HTN: 120-139, 80-89.
- Prehypertensive patients face twice the risk of HTN than those that fall in normal
category
• Stage 1 HTN: 140-159/90-99
• Stage 2 HTN: 160 or higher/100 or higher
• Patients with diabetes or renal disease should have readings less than 130/80.
Hypertension (HTN) -ANSWER ✔✔A disorder that is characterized by systolic
blood pressure that is persistently 140 mmHg or above and a diastolic pressure that
is persistently 90 mmHg or above
• Is based on 2 or more elevated findings
• The blood pressure is elevated for a sustained period of time
• Both don't have to be elevated to diagnose HTN
QUESTIONS AND ANSWRS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS 100%
CORECT RATED A+
Question: What is Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)?
✔✔ Answer: An overarching clinical umbrella term used to categorize acute
cardiac conditions stemming from an abrupt restriction of blood supply to the heart
muscle (sudden myocardial ischemia). This spectrum encompasses both unstable
angina and acute myocardial infarctions (heart attacks).
Question: How is afterload defined in cardiovascular physiology?
✔✔ Answer: The precise amount of pressure or vascular resistance that the heart’s
ventricles must overcome and pump against in order to successfully push blood out
into the systemic circulatory system.
Question: What does cardiac contractility refer to?
✔✔ Answer: The intrinsic strength and mechanical force generated by the
myocardium (heart muscle) during a single contraction or heartbeat.
Question: What is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and what are its
consequences?
✔✔ Answer: A progressive cardiovascular condition where structural blockages
or narrowing within the coronary vessels restrict blood flow. This creates a
dangerous mismatch where myocardial oxygen demands exceed the available
supply, directly leading to oxygen deprivation in the heart tissues (myocardial
ischemia).
• Atherosclerosis is most common cause
Coronary Artery Disease -ANSWER ✔✔4 primary risk factors: smoking, DM
(especially in women), HTN, high cholesterol
• LDL greater than 100
,• Patho:
- localized accumulation of lipids and fibrous tissue within coronary arteries.
- Narrowing of lumen.
- Increased myocardial oxygen demand, ischemia, chance of MI
• Results of myocardial ischemia - angina pectoris, acute MI and death
• ACS - unstable angina and MI
Preload -ANSWER ✔✔The volume of blood distending the ventricles at end-
diastole
• The amount of blood waiting to be pumped into systemic circulation
• S&S of elevated preload: anorexia, nausea, abdominal pain
Starling's Law -ANSWER ✔✔States that the cardiac muscle fibers stretch to a
certain point
• This stretching allows for a more forceful contraction, thus increasing the stroke
volume and venous return to the heart
• Causes a temporary improvement in cardiac output.
• However, once the cardiac fibers stretch beyond a certain point then the cardiac
output decreases
• Relates to preload
Stroke Volume -ANSWER ✔✔The amount of blood ejected by the heart with each
beat
Transmural Myocardial Infarction -ANSWER ✔✔A MI which involves the entire
thickness of the cardiac muscles
,Heart Disease -ANSWER ✔✔S&S in Women
• Fatigue, lethargy,
• Heaviness or squeezing pain left chest, abdomen, mid back, arm, shoulder
without midchest pain
• Palpitations, ingestion, nausea, indigestion
• Numbness of hands, sharp fleeting pain, chest discomfort during rest or sleep or
with other symptoms during exertion.
• Chest discomfort includes burning stabbing tingling
Diagnostic Test -ANSWER ✔✔• EKG: detects myocardial ischemia.
- T wave and ST segment changes occur when patient is symptomatic.
- Returns to normal when patient is free of symptoms
• Exercise Electrocardiography (stress test) - Evaluates functional capacity of heart
- Evokes symptoms under controlled conditions to progressively increase O2
demand
- Treadmill or bike
- If positive then patient is experiencing symptoms
- EKG hangers, chest pain, vertigo, sob, BP changes
Diagnostic Test -ANSWER ✔✔Testing Women
• EKG less likely to have concurrent st segment elevation
• Stress test false positive more common
• Exercise echocardiography more reliable
• Heart cath with angiography most reliable but due to invasive nature should only
be used if strong suspicion is present
, Blood Pressure -ANSWER ✔✔Is controlled by blood flow and peripheral vascular
resistance
• Blood flow is affected by heart rate and amount of blood ejected by heart with
each beat (SV).
- Faster heart beat = less perfusion
• Peripheral Vascular Resistance affected by viscosity of blood (anticoagulant,
synthetic hormones thicken blood (birth control) and dilation or constriction of
blood vessel
• Internal mechanisms that affect dilation/constriction of vessels: baroreceptors,
SNS, renin-angiotensin aldosterone system
Blood Pressure -ANSWER ✔✔• Normal BP: systolic 120 or less, diastolic 80 or
less
• Pre HTN: 120-139, 80-89.
- Prehypertensive patients face twice the risk of HTN than those that fall in normal
category
• Stage 1 HTN: 140-159/90-99
• Stage 2 HTN: 160 or higher/100 or higher
• Patients with diabetes or renal disease should have readings less than 130/80.
Hypertension (HTN) -ANSWER ✔✔A disorder that is characterized by systolic
blood pressure that is persistently 140 mmHg or above and a diastolic pressure that
is persistently 90 mmHg or above
• Is based on 2 or more elevated findings
• The blood pressure is elevated for a sustained period of time
• Both don't have to be elevated to diagnose HTN
