Chapter 34: Cardiac Disorders
Linton: Medical-Surgical Nursing, 7th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A patient with angina pectoris complains of chest pain at rest and needs to take three
nitroglycerin (NTG) pills to relieve the pain: Of what should the nurse assess this as a
major symptom?
a. Stable angina
b. Unstable angina
c. Full-blown acute myocardial infarction (MI)
d. Pulmonary embolus
ANS: B
A patient with angina who has pain at rest that is not relieved with one NTG pill is
considered to have unstable angina, a precursor to an acute MI:
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: p: 640 OBJ: 1
TOP: Unstable Angina KEY: Nursing Process Step: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance: Prevention and Early
Detection of Disease
2. What is an important teaching point for a patient with mitral stenosis?
a. Obtain a place on the heart transplant list:
b. Balance activity with oxygen supply:
c. Increase daily fluid intake to over 2000 mL:
d. Have an annual electrocardiogram:
ANS: B
Patients with mitral stenosis need to balance their activity with their oxygen supply
and avoid overhydration:
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p: 657 OBJ: 1
TOP: Mitral Stenosis KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
, MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance: Prevention and Early
Detection of Disease
3. What do fibrous plaques of atherosclerosis serve as when they are laid down in the
vessels?
a. Stent to keep the vessel open
b. Trap to which other substances adhere
c. Threat to the integrity of the vessel wall
d. Embolus
ANS: B
The plaque surface acts as a trap to which fibrous plaques can adhere, causing more
narrowing of the vessel: the enlarging plaque can become a thrombus but not an
embolus because emboli are usually considered to be traveling aggregations that
lodge in a small arteriole:
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: p: 640 OBJ: 1
TOP: Atherosclerosis KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: Physiological Adaptation
4. What information should a nurse include in a patient’s discharge instruction after an acute
myocardial infarction (MI)?
a. Cautions about the use of morphine
b. Detailed symptoms that indicate impending MI
c. Written instructions on diet and follow-up appointments
d. High-energy exercise program directions
ANS: C
The patient needs written instructions for diet, follow-up appointments, and exercise
protocols: Giving detailed information about symptoms is not necessarily other than
to remind the patient about reporting chest pain and shortness of breath: A high-
energy exercise program is not appropriate: Morphine is not part of the home care
after an MI:
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p: 647 OBJ: 1
TOP: Myocardial Infarction KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
Linton: Medical-Surgical Nursing, 7th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A patient with angina pectoris complains of chest pain at rest and needs to take three
nitroglycerin (NTG) pills to relieve the pain: Of what should the nurse assess this as a
major symptom?
a. Stable angina
b. Unstable angina
c. Full-blown acute myocardial infarction (MI)
d. Pulmonary embolus
ANS: B
A patient with angina who has pain at rest that is not relieved with one NTG pill is
considered to have unstable angina, a precursor to an acute MI:
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: p: 640 OBJ: 1
TOP: Unstable Angina KEY: Nursing Process Step: Assessment
MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance: Prevention and Early
Detection of Disease
2. What is an important teaching point for a patient with mitral stenosis?
a. Obtain a place on the heart transplant list:
b. Balance activity with oxygen supply:
c. Increase daily fluid intake to over 2000 mL:
d. Have an annual electrocardiogram:
ANS: B
Patients with mitral stenosis need to balance their activity with their oxygen supply
and avoid overhydration:
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p: 657 OBJ: 1
TOP: Mitral Stenosis KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
, MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and Maintenance: Prevention and Early
Detection of Disease
3. What do fibrous plaques of atherosclerosis serve as when they are laid down in the
vessels?
a. Stent to keep the vessel open
b. Trap to which other substances adhere
c. Threat to the integrity of the vessel wall
d. Embolus
ANS: B
The plaque surface acts as a trap to which fibrous plaques can adhere, causing more
narrowing of the vessel: the enlarging plaque can become a thrombus but not an
embolus because emboli are usually considered to be traveling aggregations that
lodge in a small arteriole:
DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: p: 640 OBJ: 1
TOP: Atherosclerosis KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
MSC: NCLEX: Physiological Integrity: Physiological Adaptation
4. What information should a nurse include in a patient’s discharge instruction after an acute
myocardial infarction (MI)?
a. Cautions about the use of morphine
b. Detailed symptoms that indicate impending MI
c. Written instructions on diet and follow-up appointments
d. High-energy exercise program directions
ANS: C
The patient needs written instructions for diet, follow-up appointments, and exercise
protocols: Giving detailed information about symptoms is not necessarily other than
to remind the patient about reporting chest pain and shortness of breath: A high-
energy exercise program is not appropriate: Morphine is not part of the home care
after an MI:
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p: 647 OBJ: 1
TOP: Myocardial Infarction KEY: Nursing Process Step: Implementation
