PCCN EXAM 2 Questions with 100%
Correct Answers Latest Versions 2025
GRADED A+
A patient is discharged with the diagnosis of severe peripheral vascular
disease (PVD). In addition to medication and a walking regime, if
applicable, which of the following is essential education at time of
discharge?
A. nutritional counseling
B. smoking cessation counseling
C. social work consult
D. speech therapy consult - Precise Answer ✔✔B. smoking cessation
counseling
Cessation of tobacco use is the most important non-pharmacological
intervention that can be done to improve signs and symptoms of
peripheral bvascular disease. Social work consult and speech therapy
may not be indicated in this patient. All patients may benefit from
nutrition counseling; however, this is not a primary concern for this
patient.
A medication that dilates both the venous and arterial beds will cause
which of the following results?
A. increased preload, decreased afterload
B. increased preload, increased afterload
,C. decreased preload, decreased afterload
D. decreased preload, increased afterload - Precise Answer ✔✔C.
decreased preload, decreased afterload
When both the venous and arterial beds are dilated, there will be less
venous return, causing a decreased preload (ex. nitroglycerin). With
arterial vasodilation, the afterload will decrease (ex nitroprusside, ACE-
I). Afterload in this case is resistant to LV pumping.
Stable angina is best defined as:
A. pain that increases in severity
B. pain that is new
C. pain that occurs at rest
D. pain that has a predictable pattern over time - Precise Answer ✔✔D.
pain that has a predictable pattern over time
Stable angina is predictable -- the patient can describe the pain and how
it is initiated accurately each time -- and occurs with exertion. Ex: The
patient knows every time he or she climbs stairs, it will be accompanied
by chest pain. The pain is relieved with rest and nitroglycerin
(Nitrolingual). Pain that is new or occurs at rest is not stable angina. If
the pain increases in severity, it is no longer stable.
The gold standard diagnostic tool for the identification, location of
disease and severity of coronary artery disease is:
A. a stress test
B. an echocardiography
C. cardiac catheterization
,D. a spiral computer tomography (CT scan) - Precise Answer ✔✔C.
cardiac catheterization
The gold standard, or best diagnostic tool, for the diagnosis, location and
severity of coronary artery disease is the cardiac catheterization
performed in the cath laboratory. Echocardiography is excellent in
revealing structure changes, but not coronary artery disease. A stress test
may be a good screening tool, but again, is not the gold standard, nor is
CT scanning
The most common complication after a STEMI is:
A. heart failure
B. dysrhythmia
C. ventricular septal rupture
D. ventricular wall rupture - Precise Answer ✔✔B. dysrhythmia
The most common complication after a STEMI is dysrhthmia due to
irritability of the ischemic myocardium and the dead myocardium that
does not transmit electrical stimuli. With interior-wall STEMI, the most
common dysrhythmia is bradycardia and heart block. With anterior-wall
STEMI, tachydysrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia and/or
ventricular fibrillation are most common. Heart failure, ventricular
septal wall rupture and ventricular rupture are infrequent complications
after STEMI and carry a very poor prognosis.
The most common cause of heart failure in the US is:
A. valvular disease
B. ischemic heart disease
C. renal failure
, D. hepatitis - Precise Answer ✔✔B. ischemic heart disease
In the US, the most common cause of heart failure is ischemic heart
disease. After STEMI or NSTEMI with damage to the myocardium,
ventricular failure may result secondary to decreased ejection fraction.
Each insult to the myocardium may make the heart failure worse. For
many years, valvular disease, caused by untreated strep throat, was one
of the most common causes of heart failure. However, that has changed
since the newer strep tests provide rapid results, preventing delayed
treatments. Renal failure and hepatitis are serious illnesses but are not
common causes of heart failure.
Systolic left ventricular dysfunction is best defined as:
A. the impaired ability of the left ventricle to contract and effectively
eject blood
B. the impaired ability of the left ventricle to fill and relax
C. heart failure with an elevated systolic blood pressure
D. heart failure in which the heart stops beating - Precise Answer ✔✔A.
the impaired ability of the left ventricle to contract and effectively eject
blood
Systolic failure occurs when the ventricle has lower contractility and
produces a lower ejection fraction and cardiac output. The ventricle
dilates and loses the ability to contract as a unit. Depending on the
severity of the dysfunction, the patient may present in cardiogenic
shock. Impaired ability to fill the ventricle is a problem with diastolic
dysfunction; heart failure with an elevated systolic pressure may more
often cause diastolic dysfunction by causing a thickened ventricle that
cannot fill properly. Heart failure caused by asystole is not heart failure
but electrical standstill.
Correct Answers Latest Versions 2025
GRADED A+
A patient is discharged with the diagnosis of severe peripheral vascular
disease (PVD). In addition to medication and a walking regime, if
applicable, which of the following is essential education at time of
discharge?
A. nutritional counseling
B. smoking cessation counseling
C. social work consult
D. speech therapy consult - Precise Answer ✔✔B. smoking cessation
counseling
Cessation of tobacco use is the most important non-pharmacological
intervention that can be done to improve signs and symptoms of
peripheral bvascular disease. Social work consult and speech therapy
may not be indicated in this patient. All patients may benefit from
nutrition counseling; however, this is not a primary concern for this
patient.
A medication that dilates both the venous and arterial beds will cause
which of the following results?
A. increased preload, decreased afterload
B. increased preload, increased afterload
,C. decreased preload, decreased afterload
D. decreased preload, increased afterload - Precise Answer ✔✔C.
decreased preload, decreased afterload
When both the venous and arterial beds are dilated, there will be less
venous return, causing a decreased preload (ex. nitroglycerin). With
arterial vasodilation, the afterload will decrease (ex nitroprusside, ACE-
I). Afterload in this case is resistant to LV pumping.
Stable angina is best defined as:
A. pain that increases in severity
B. pain that is new
C. pain that occurs at rest
D. pain that has a predictable pattern over time - Precise Answer ✔✔D.
pain that has a predictable pattern over time
Stable angina is predictable -- the patient can describe the pain and how
it is initiated accurately each time -- and occurs with exertion. Ex: The
patient knows every time he or she climbs stairs, it will be accompanied
by chest pain. The pain is relieved with rest and nitroglycerin
(Nitrolingual). Pain that is new or occurs at rest is not stable angina. If
the pain increases in severity, it is no longer stable.
The gold standard diagnostic tool for the identification, location of
disease and severity of coronary artery disease is:
A. a stress test
B. an echocardiography
C. cardiac catheterization
,D. a spiral computer tomography (CT scan) - Precise Answer ✔✔C.
cardiac catheterization
The gold standard, or best diagnostic tool, for the diagnosis, location and
severity of coronary artery disease is the cardiac catheterization
performed in the cath laboratory. Echocardiography is excellent in
revealing structure changes, but not coronary artery disease. A stress test
may be a good screening tool, but again, is not the gold standard, nor is
CT scanning
The most common complication after a STEMI is:
A. heart failure
B. dysrhythmia
C. ventricular septal rupture
D. ventricular wall rupture - Precise Answer ✔✔B. dysrhythmia
The most common complication after a STEMI is dysrhthmia due to
irritability of the ischemic myocardium and the dead myocardium that
does not transmit electrical stimuli. With interior-wall STEMI, the most
common dysrhythmia is bradycardia and heart block. With anterior-wall
STEMI, tachydysrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia and/or
ventricular fibrillation are most common. Heart failure, ventricular
septal wall rupture and ventricular rupture are infrequent complications
after STEMI and carry a very poor prognosis.
The most common cause of heart failure in the US is:
A. valvular disease
B. ischemic heart disease
C. renal failure
, D. hepatitis - Precise Answer ✔✔B. ischemic heart disease
In the US, the most common cause of heart failure is ischemic heart
disease. After STEMI or NSTEMI with damage to the myocardium,
ventricular failure may result secondary to decreased ejection fraction.
Each insult to the myocardium may make the heart failure worse. For
many years, valvular disease, caused by untreated strep throat, was one
of the most common causes of heart failure. However, that has changed
since the newer strep tests provide rapid results, preventing delayed
treatments. Renal failure and hepatitis are serious illnesses but are not
common causes of heart failure.
Systolic left ventricular dysfunction is best defined as:
A. the impaired ability of the left ventricle to contract and effectively
eject blood
B. the impaired ability of the left ventricle to fill and relax
C. heart failure with an elevated systolic blood pressure
D. heart failure in which the heart stops beating - Precise Answer ✔✔A.
the impaired ability of the left ventricle to contract and effectively eject
blood
Systolic failure occurs when the ventricle has lower contractility and
produces a lower ejection fraction and cardiac output. The ventricle
dilates and loses the ability to contract as a unit. Depending on the
severity of the dysfunction, the patient may present in cardiogenic
shock. Impaired ability to fill the ventricle is a problem with diastolic
dysfunction; heart failure with an elevated systolic pressure may more
often cause diastolic dysfunction by causing a thickened ventricle that
cannot fill properly. Heart failure caused by asystole is not heart failure
but electrical standstill.
