CCRN PRACTICE QUESTIONS 1
1. Leads V8 and V9 are used to evaluate which of the following?
A. Left ventricular failure
B. Posterior myocardial infarction (MI)
C. Lateral MI
D. Left bundle branch block: B. posterior MI
2. Which of the following is the major advantage of minimally invasive directcoronary artery
bypass grafting (MIDCABG)?
A. Decreased cost
B. Decreased length of stay
C. Avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass
D. Less patient pain: C. avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass
3. A patient arrives to the ED with a knife sticking out of his chest. He is stableat this time but
complaining of pain at the knife insertion site. The physician is busy resuscitating another
patient. What should be done?
A. Remove the knife so that the wound can be cleansed.
B. Remove the knife and apply a sterile, occlusive dressing.
C. Leave the knife in but stabilize it with adhesive tape.
D. Leave the knife in but apply a pressure dressing over it.: C. Leave the knifein but stabilize
it with adhesive tape.
4. A 57-year-old man was admitted to the critical care unit with a diagnosis ofanteroseptal MI.
A PA catheter was inserted, and initial readings were withinnormal limits. BP 140/92, HR 110
and regular, RR 24. Breath sounds equal andclear. 3 hrs after admission, the pt becomes restless
with cool, pale skin. NowBP 110/72, HR 120, RR 28 and labored. Crackles are audible at the
lung basesBL. The patient is given furosemide (Lasix) at 8 am. At 9 am, the PAOP dropsto 8,
with a drop in BP. Which of the following would be the most appropriateintervention at this
time?
A. Administer saline bolus.
B. Decrease dobutamine drip rate.
C. Increase nitroglycerin drip rate.
D. Replace potassium.: A. Administer saline bolus.
5. What type of AV block is characterized by a progressive prolongation ofthe PR interval
followed by a nonconducted P wave?
,A. First-degree AV block
B. Second-degree AV block, type I
C. Second-degree AV block, type II
D. Third-degree AV block: B. Second-degree AV block, type I
6. A premature P wave buried in the T wave before a run of wide QRS complextachycardia
indicates that the wide QRS complex tachycardia is most likely which of the following?
A. Supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy
B. Ventricular tachycardia
C. Bundle branch block
D. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: A. Supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy
7. Which of the following drugs are used for first-line therapy for chronicmanagement of
hypertension?
A. ACE inhibitors and vasodilators
B. Vasodilators and beta-blockers
C. Diuretics and beta-blockers
D. Diuretics and ACE inhibitors: C.Diuretics and beta-blockers
8. A 61-year-old man is admitted to the critical care unit from the cath lab. Hehas just had a
PCI and stent insertion to the RCA. His leg is immobilized, andthe HOB 30 degrees. Six hours
later the patient is restless and complaining of back pain. The femoral sheath is intact in the
right femoral area, and thereis no evidence of bleeding or hematoma. Neck veins are flat with
the HOB 30degrees, and heart sounds are normal. Vital signs are BP 80/50, HR 120, andRR
24. Which of the following is the priority issue for patient education for thispatient?
A. The need for lifestyle changes to decelerate the atherosclerotic process
B. To avoid magnetic resonance imaging
C. The need for taking a platelet aggregation inhibitor daily
D. How to take nitroglycerin: C. The need for taking a platelet aggregation inhibitordaily
9. Unstable angina that presents as pain at rest is likely to be due to progression of CAD or
which of the following?
A. Dysrhythmias
B. Hypertension
C. Coronary artery spasm
D. Anxiety: C. Coronary artery spasm
, 10. Which of the following is the major disadvantage of the use of serummyoglobin for the
diagnosis of an acute MI?
A. Low specificity and false-positive results
B. High specificity and false-negative results
C. High sensitivity and false-positive results
D. Low sensitivity and false-negative results: C. High sensitivity and false-positive results
11. Which of the following is the most likely mechanism for atrial tachycardias?
A. Reentry
B. Triggered activity
C. Accessory pathways
D. Enhanced automaticity: A. re-entry
12. Which of the following would be a contraindication to the use of fibrinolyticdrugs, such as
recombinant tissue plasminogen activator?
A. Hypotension
B. Heart block
C. Uncontrolled hypertension
D. Pain lasting more than 6 hours: C. uncontrolled hypertension
13. A patient returns to the critical care unit after insertion of a transvenouspacemaker. There
are pacing spikes not followed by a QRS. Which of the following is a method to facilitate
capture during pacing?
A. Increase the pacing rate.
B. Increase the milliamperage.
C. Suppress the competitive rhythm.
D. Increase the sensitivity: B. Increase the milliamperage.
14. eduction in peripheral circulation and shifting of the oxyhemoglobin dis-sociation curve
can affect the accuracy of which of the following?
A. Arterial blood gases
B. Capnography
C. Hemoglobin and hematocrit
D. Pulse oximetry: D. Pulse oximetry
15. Which of the following would not be recommended for diastolic dysfunc-tion?
1. Leads V8 and V9 are used to evaluate which of the following?
A. Left ventricular failure
B. Posterior myocardial infarction (MI)
C. Lateral MI
D. Left bundle branch block: B. posterior MI
2. Which of the following is the major advantage of minimally invasive directcoronary artery
bypass grafting (MIDCABG)?
A. Decreased cost
B. Decreased length of stay
C. Avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass
D. Less patient pain: C. avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass
3. A patient arrives to the ED with a knife sticking out of his chest. He is stableat this time but
complaining of pain at the knife insertion site. The physician is busy resuscitating another
patient. What should be done?
A. Remove the knife so that the wound can be cleansed.
B. Remove the knife and apply a sterile, occlusive dressing.
C. Leave the knife in but stabilize it with adhesive tape.
D. Leave the knife in but apply a pressure dressing over it.: C. Leave the knifein but stabilize
it with adhesive tape.
4. A 57-year-old man was admitted to the critical care unit with a diagnosis ofanteroseptal MI.
A PA catheter was inserted, and initial readings were withinnormal limits. BP 140/92, HR 110
and regular, RR 24. Breath sounds equal andclear. 3 hrs after admission, the pt becomes restless
with cool, pale skin. NowBP 110/72, HR 120, RR 28 and labored. Crackles are audible at the
lung basesBL. The patient is given furosemide (Lasix) at 8 am. At 9 am, the PAOP dropsto 8,
with a drop in BP. Which of the following would be the most appropriateintervention at this
time?
A. Administer saline bolus.
B. Decrease dobutamine drip rate.
C. Increase nitroglycerin drip rate.
D. Replace potassium.: A. Administer saline bolus.
5. What type of AV block is characterized by a progressive prolongation ofthe PR interval
followed by a nonconducted P wave?
,A. First-degree AV block
B. Second-degree AV block, type I
C. Second-degree AV block, type II
D. Third-degree AV block: B. Second-degree AV block, type I
6. A premature P wave buried in the T wave before a run of wide QRS complextachycardia
indicates that the wide QRS complex tachycardia is most likely which of the following?
A. Supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy
B. Ventricular tachycardia
C. Bundle branch block
D. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: A. Supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy
7. Which of the following drugs are used for first-line therapy for chronicmanagement of
hypertension?
A. ACE inhibitors and vasodilators
B. Vasodilators and beta-blockers
C. Diuretics and beta-blockers
D. Diuretics and ACE inhibitors: C.Diuretics and beta-blockers
8. A 61-year-old man is admitted to the critical care unit from the cath lab. Hehas just had a
PCI and stent insertion to the RCA. His leg is immobilized, andthe HOB 30 degrees. Six hours
later the patient is restless and complaining of back pain. The femoral sheath is intact in the
right femoral area, and thereis no evidence of bleeding or hematoma. Neck veins are flat with
the HOB 30degrees, and heart sounds are normal. Vital signs are BP 80/50, HR 120, andRR
24. Which of the following is the priority issue for patient education for thispatient?
A. The need for lifestyle changes to decelerate the atherosclerotic process
B. To avoid magnetic resonance imaging
C. The need for taking a platelet aggregation inhibitor daily
D. How to take nitroglycerin: C. The need for taking a platelet aggregation inhibitordaily
9. Unstable angina that presents as pain at rest is likely to be due to progression of CAD or
which of the following?
A. Dysrhythmias
B. Hypertension
C. Coronary artery spasm
D. Anxiety: C. Coronary artery spasm
, 10. Which of the following is the major disadvantage of the use of serummyoglobin for the
diagnosis of an acute MI?
A. Low specificity and false-positive results
B. High specificity and false-negative results
C. High sensitivity and false-positive results
D. Low sensitivity and false-negative results: C. High sensitivity and false-positive results
11. Which of the following is the most likely mechanism for atrial tachycardias?
A. Reentry
B. Triggered activity
C. Accessory pathways
D. Enhanced automaticity: A. re-entry
12. Which of the following would be a contraindication to the use of fibrinolyticdrugs, such as
recombinant tissue plasminogen activator?
A. Hypotension
B. Heart block
C. Uncontrolled hypertension
D. Pain lasting more than 6 hours: C. uncontrolled hypertension
13. A patient returns to the critical care unit after insertion of a transvenouspacemaker. There
are pacing spikes not followed by a QRS. Which of the following is a method to facilitate
capture during pacing?
A. Increase the pacing rate.
B. Increase the milliamperage.
C. Suppress the competitive rhythm.
D. Increase the sensitivity: B. Increase the milliamperage.
14. eduction in peripheral circulation and shifting of the oxyhemoglobin dis-sociation curve
can affect the accuracy of which of the following?
A. Arterial blood gases
B. Capnography
C. Hemoglobin and hematocrit
D. Pulse oximetry: D. Pulse oximetry
15. Which of the following would not be recommended for diastolic dysfunc-tion?
