Test Bank - Focus on Nursing Pharmacology (8th Edition by Karch)
1. Several nursing students are creating a poster on the mechanism of the heart. What
structure would they label as separating the right half of the heart from the left?
a. Auricle
b. Bundle of His
c. Syncytia
d. Septum
Ans: D
Feedback:
The septum is a partition that separates the right and left halves of the heart. The right
half receives deoxygenated blood from everywhere in the body and the left half
receives oxygenated blood from the lungs. The auricle is an appendage attached to
each atrium, which collects blood that is pumped into the ventricles by atrial
contractions. Impulses are sent from the atria into the ventricles by way of the bundle
of His, which then enters the septum and subdivides into three bundle branches that
become a network of fibers that delivers the electrical impulse to the ventricular cells.
The myocardium forms two intertwining networks, atrial and ventricular syncytia,
which enable first the atria and then the ventricles to contract synchronously when
excited by the same stimulus.
2. A nurse is caring for a neonate born with a congenital heart anomaly. To better
help the parents understand the impact of this disorder, the nurse begins by
describing the usual flow of blood through the heart which takes what course?
a. Deoxygenated blood from the lungs enters the left atrium through the
pulmonary artery.
b. Oxygenated blood from the lungs enters the right atrium through the
pulmonary veins.
c. Deoxygenated blood from the lungs enters the right atrium through
pulmonary veins.
d. Oxygenated blood from the lungs enters the left atrium through the
pulmonary veins.
Ans: D
Feedback:
Oxygenated blood from the lungs enters the left atrium through the pulmonary veins
and passes through the mitral valve into the left ventricle, which contracts and ejects
blood through the aortic valve into the aorta and out to the systemic circulation.
, 3. A patient is scheduled to have a pacemaker implanted. The nurse knows
pacemakers can be inserted to correct what problem?
a. Increased blood pressure
b. Increased pulse pressure
c. Malfunction of the sinuatrial (SA) node
d. Onset of oncotic pressure
Ans: C
Feedback:
Pacemaker cells are found in the SA node of the heart, which controls cardiac
contraction and relaxation, therefore controlling the overall heart rate. If the SA node
malfunctions, a pacemaker would be indicated. Hypertension, increased pulse
pressure, and onset of oncotic pressure would not be an indication for pacemaker
insertion.
4. What description of an artery, made by the nurse, is accurate?
a. Connective tubes composed of simple endothelial cells
b. Floppy capacitance tubes
c. Rigid resistance tubes
d. Tubes carrying blood into the heart
Ans: C
Feedback:
The arteries are muscular, rigid, resistance tubes of the cardiovascular system that
carry blood away from the heart. The veins are capacitance tubes that carry blood to
the heart. Capillaries connect arteries and veins.
5. A 54-year-old man has a myocardial infarction, resulting in left-sided heart failure.
The nurse caring for the man is most concerned that he will develop edema in what
area of the body?
a. Abdominal
b. Liver
c. Peripheral
d. Pulmonary
Ans: D
Feedback:
Pulmonary edema can occur when the heart is damaged and the left side of the heart is
unable to effectively pump blood returning from the right side of the heart into
systemic circulation. This lack of blood movement out of the lungs results in an
increased hydrostatic pressure in the capillary beds of the lungs and the result can be
pulmonary edema. Abdominal, liver, and peripheral edemas occur when the right side
of the heart is failing and the returning venous blood pools in the organs and
1. Several nursing students are creating a poster on the mechanism of the heart. What
structure would they label as separating the right half of the heart from the left?
a. Auricle
b. Bundle of His
c. Syncytia
d. Septum
Ans: D
Feedback:
The septum is a partition that separates the right and left halves of the heart. The right
half receives deoxygenated blood from everywhere in the body and the left half
receives oxygenated blood from the lungs. The auricle is an appendage attached to
each atrium, which collects blood that is pumped into the ventricles by atrial
contractions. Impulses are sent from the atria into the ventricles by way of the bundle
of His, which then enters the septum and subdivides into three bundle branches that
become a network of fibers that delivers the electrical impulse to the ventricular cells.
The myocardium forms two intertwining networks, atrial and ventricular syncytia,
which enable first the atria and then the ventricles to contract synchronously when
excited by the same stimulus.
2. A nurse is caring for a neonate born with a congenital heart anomaly. To better
help the parents understand the impact of this disorder, the nurse begins by
describing the usual flow of blood through the heart which takes what course?
a. Deoxygenated blood from the lungs enters the left atrium through the
pulmonary artery.
b. Oxygenated blood from the lungs enters the right atrium through the
pulmonary veins.
c. Deoxygenated blood from the lungs enters the right atrium through
pulmonary veins.
d. Oxygenated blood from the lungs enters the left atrium through the
pulmonary veins.
Ans: D
Feedback:
Oxygenated blood from the lungs enters the left atrium through the pulmonary veins
and passes through the mitral valve into the left ventricle, which contracts and ejects
blood through the aortic valve into the aorta and out to the systemic circulation.
, 3. A patient is scheduled to have a pacemaker implanted. The nurse knows
pacemakers can be inserted to correct what problem?
a. Increased blood pressure
b. Increased pulse pressure
c. Malfunction of the sinuatrial (SA) node
d. Onset of oncotic pressure
Ans: C
Feedback:
Pacemaker cells are found in the SA node of the heart, which controls cardiac
contraction and relaxation, therefore controlling the overall heart rate. If the SA node
malfunctions, a pacemaker would be indicated. Hypertension, increased pulse
pressure, and onset of oncotic pressure would not be an indication for pacemaker
insertion.
4. What description of an artery, made by the nurse, is accurate?
a. Connective tubes composed of simple endothelial cells
b. Floppy capacitance tubes
c. Rigid resistance tubes
d. Tubes carrying blood into the heart
Ans: C
Feedback:
The arteries are muscular, rigid, resistance tubes of the cardiovascular system that
carry blood away from the heart. The veins are capacitance tubes that carry blood to
the heart. Capillaries connect arteries and veins.
5. A 54-year-old man has a myocardial infarction, resulting in left-sided heart failure.
The nurse caring for the man is most concerned that he will develop edema in what
area of the body?
a. Abdominal
b. Liver
c. Peripheral
d. Pulmonary
Ans: D
Feedback:
Pulmonary edema can occur when the heart is damaged and the left side of the heart is
unable to effectively pump blood returning from the right side of the heart into
systemic circulation. This lack of blood movement out of the lungs results in an
increased hydrostatic pressure in the capillary beds of the lungs and the result can be
pulmonary edema. Abdominal, liver, and peripheral edemas occur when the right side
of the heart is failing and the returning venous blood pools in the organs and
