AACN PCCN Practice Test Exam
Who is at risk for mdro infection correct answer: patients with severe disease, including compromised
host defenses from underlying medical conditions, recent surgery, or indwelling medical devices (ex:
foleys or et tubes)
What are classic signs of cardiac tamponade? Correct answer: hypotension, narrowing pulse
pressure, tachycardia with weak, thready pulse, and tachypnea
What arrhythmia is mitral valve insufficiency associated with? Correct answer: afib
What defines oliguira? Correct answer: less than 500 ml of output per day
What does renal failure result in? Correct answer: acidosis
What type of hf are patients with osa at risk for? Correct answer: right-sided hf
What is one of the hallmark features of pancreatitis? Correct answer: dehydration
What is treatment for pancreatitis? Correct answer: hydration, maintenance of electrolyte balance,
nutritional support
What is unstable angina characterized by? Correct answer: new onset pain or increase in
frequency/duration of pain. Pain generally lasts 15-30 minutes. May be experienced at low exertion or
rest and pain tends not to respond to sl nitro. Symptoms may be accompanied by diaphoresis or
dyspnea.
What is stable angina characterized by? Correct answer: pain on exertion or stress that is relieved by
rest or sl nitro. Pain generally does not increase in severity over time
What characterizes an acute mi? Correct answer: constant, severe pain and may be accompanied by
nausea, weakness, fatigue, anxiety. Not relieved with rest, duration exceeds 30 minutes.
What are characteristics of dissection aortic aneurysm? Correct answer: pain is severe and
unrelenting, commonly experienced in chest/abdomen and radiates to the back. Pain does not
improve spontaneously.
What procedure is most appropriate for obtaining heart pressure measurements and diagnosing
pulmonary htn? Correct answer: right sided heart cath
What is the best noninvasive test for pulmonary htn? Correct answer: transthoracic echocardiogram
What is a reasonable goal for the first day blood pressure in a stroke patient? Correct answer: lower
by 15-20% in the first day
What may improve the prognosis of patients with stroke? Correct answer: lowering body temp
, What are the causes of afib in post-cardiac surgery patients? Correct answer: advanced age, pre-
existing medical or cardiac conditions, electrolyte abnormalities, conduction disturbances that wil
likely resolve, and pre-existing atrial or valve conditions that contribute to the development of this
arrythmia
What is a life threatening condition that most commonly occurs with renal dysfunction? Correct
answer: hyperkalemia
What medication is contraindicated in rv infarct? Correct answer: nitro bc it will reduce preload, and
patients with rv infarct are preload dependent
What are the manifestations of hepatic encephalopathy? Correct answer: changes in mental state,
behavior, personality, decreased self-care ability, deterioration of handwriting, or loss of other small
movements, and asterixis ("liver flaps")
What are the manifestations of cerebral edema? Correct answer: decreased loc, bradycardia, htn,
bradypnea, posturing, unequal pupils, decreased pupillary reaction to light
What are impending delirium tremens manifested by? Correct answer: tremors, irritability, n/v,
hallucinations (auditory, visual, or olfactory), confusion, delusions, and severe agitation
What is impending azotemia manifested by? Correct answer: tachycardia, hypotension, and signs of
dehydration
What is hyponatremia associated with? Correct answer: siadh
What are neuro complications of hyponatremia? Correct answer: ha, nausea, vomiting, lethargy,
coma, seizure
What is common with sepsis ? Correct answer: dic
What is common in patients with dic? Correct answer: jaundice due to increased bilirubin production
secondary to hemolysis
What type of cardiomyopathy in pt with lv having increased muscle mass and fibrosis causing
stiffness? Correct answer: hypertrophic
What defines mild copd exacerbation? Correct answer: not requiring mechanical ventilation and
having only one of the three cardinal symptoms: increased dyspnea, sputum purulence or sputum
production
What test should not be performed during most copd exacerbations? Correct answer: sputum culture
What does management of cardiogenic shock include? Correct answer: decreasing afterload
(because co is greatly diminished)
Treat with asa
Iv heparin infusion bc at risk for lv ventricular and dv thrombosis and maintains coronary artery
patency
What dysrhythmia is associated with chronic alcohol abuse? Correct answer: afib
Who is at risk for mdro infection correct answer: patients with severe disease, including compromised
host defenses from underlying medical conditions, recent surgery, or indwelling medical devices (ex:
foleys or et tubes)
What are classic signs of cardiac tamponade? Correct answer: hypotension, narrowing pulse
pressure, tachycardia with weak, thready pulse, and tachypnea
What arrhythmia is mitral valve insufficiency associated with? Correct answer: afib
What defines oliguira? Correct answer: less than 500 ml of output per day
What does renal failure result in? Correct answer: acidosis
What type of hf are patients with osa at risk for? Correct answer: right-sided hf
What is one of the hallmark features of pancreatitis? Correct answer: dehydration
What is treatment for pancreatitis? Correct answer: hydration, maintenance of electrolyte balance,
nutritional support
What is unstable angina characterized by? Correct answer: new onset pain or increase in
frequency/duration of pain. Pain generally lasts 15-30 minutes. May be experienced at low exertion or
rest and pain tends not to respond to sl nitro. Symptoms may be accompanied by diaphoresis or
dyspnea.
What is stable angina characterized by? Correct answer: pain on exertion or stress that is relieved by
rest or sl nitro. Pain generally does not increase in severity over time
What characterizes an acute mi? Correct answer: constant, severe pain and may be accompanied by
nausea, weakness, fatigue, anxiety. Not relieved with rest, duration exceeds 30 minutes.
What are characteristics of dissection aortic aneurysm? Correct answer: pain is severe and
unrelenting, commonly experienced in chest/abdomen and radiates to the back. Pain does not
improve spontaneously.
What procedure is most appropriate for obtaining heart pressure measurements and diagnosing
pulmonary htn? Correct answer: right sided heart cath
What is the best noninvasive test for pulmonary htn? Correct answer: transthoracic echocardiogram
What is a reasonable goal for the first day blood pressure in a stroke patient? Correct answer: lower
by 15-20% in the first day
What may improve the prognosis of patients with stroke? Correct answer: lowering body temp
, What are the causes of afib in post-cardiac surgery patients? Correct answer: advanced age, pre-
existing medical or cardiac conditions, electrolyte abnormalities, conduction disturbances that wil
likely resolve, and pre-existing atrial or valve conditions that contribute to the development of this
arrythmia
What is a life threatening condition that most commonly occurs with renal dysfunction? Correct
answer: hyperkalemia
What medication is contraindicated in rv infarct? Correct answer: nitro bc it will reduce preload, and
patients with rv infarct are preload dependent
What are the manifestations of hepatic encephalopathy? Correct answer: changes in mental state,
behavior, personality, decreased self-care ability, deterioration of handwriting, or loss of other small
movements, and asterixis ("liver flaps")
What are the manifestations of cerebral edema? Correct answer: decreased loc, bradycardia, htn,
bradypnea, posturing, unequal pupils, decreased pupillary reaction to light
What are impending delirium tremens manifested by? Correct answer: tremors, irritability, n/v,
hallucinations (auditory, visual, or olfactory), confusion, delusions, and severe agitation
What is impending azotemia manifested by? Correct answer: tachycardia, hypotension, and signs of
dehydration
What is hyponatremia associated with? Correct answer: siadh
What are neuro complications of hyponatremia? Correct answer: ha, nausea, vomiting, lethargy,
coma, seizure
What is common with sepsis ? Correct answer: dic
What is common in patients with dic? Correct answer: jaundice due to increased bilirubin production
secondary to hemolysis
What type of cardiomyopathy in pt with lv having increased muscle mass and fibrosis causing
stiffness? Correct answer: hypertrophic
What defines mild copd exacerbation? Correct answer: not requiring mechanical ventilation and
having only one of the three cardinal symptoms: increased dyspnea, sputum purulence or sputum
production
What test should not be performed during most copd exacerbations? Correct answer: sputum culture
What does management of cardiogenic shock include? Correct answer: decreasing afterload
(because co is greatly diminished)
Treat with asa
Iv heparin infusion bc at risk for lv ventricular and dv thrombosis and maintains coronary artery
patency
What dysrhythmia is associated with chronic alcohol abuse? Correct answer: afib
