Dysrhythmias Practice Questions
1. You are the nurse working on the telemetry unit and you have finally got-
ten to sit down to work on some charting. Suddenly the heart monitors at the
station start beeping. Patient in room 18 is showing this rhythm on the
monitor.The medical team advances together into the room and finds them
unconscious. What is priority action by the nurse?
A) Prepare to administer adenosine to the patient
B) Begin chest compressions
C) Prepare for defibrillation
D) Check for a pulse: <Answer>: D
A pulse would be assessed for first. Then the patient will be defibrillized and chest
compressions will begin immediately.
2. The patient who has recently been experiencing runs of ventricular tachy-
cardia suddenly loses consciousness.The patient is defibrillated, and the rate
returns as the following. What should the nurse do first?
,A) Begin compressions
B) Shock the client again immediately
C) Prepare for intubation
D) Administer adenosine: <Answer>: A
Following defibrillation, CPR is immediately initiated if a perfusable rhythm is not
initiated. The client may need to be shocked again, but chest compressions must
begin first.
3. The patient with a history of hypertension and diabetes has the following
rhythm strip.The patient's vitals are as follows: BP 145/89, HR 90, SpO2 95%,
RR 19. Which of the following does the nurse expect to do at this time?
a) Prepare the client for cardioversion STAT
b) Begin administering anticoagulants
c) Grab the crash cart for administration of adenosine
d) Teach the client about possibility of pacemaker installation: A nswer: B
,Atrial flutter places the client at high risk for development of clot formation in the
atria. Because the client is stable at this time, cardioversion or adenosine would not be
performed at this time. Before cardioversion can occur in a patient, anticoagulant
therapy should be begun at least 48 hours beforehand if possible.
4. The nurse is preparing to administer adenosine to the patient with the
following rhythm which is symptomatic.What should the nurse plan on having in
the patient room? Select All That Apply:
a) Physician
b) Crash cart
c) IV pump
d) EKG monitor
e) Lidocaine: <Answer>: A, B, and D
, Adenosine is administered as a very quick IV push. The physician must be present in
the room and the crash cart must be on hand. An ekg monitor should be in the room
to monitor the effectiveness of the medication.
5. The nurse has just administered adenosine via IV push and sees the follow- ing
rhythm on the monitor. What is the nurse's priority intervention?
a) Apply conductive gel and defibrillate the patient
b) Document the findings and continue to monitor
c) Administer another mg of the medication
d) Begin chest compressions: <Answer>: B
This finding would be expected upon administration of adenosine.The rhythm should
then begin again in some other rhythm, hopefully normal sinus rhythm. It would be
important to document the exact time of this change and continue to monitor the
change back to NSR. If this change does not occur, or if another rhythm is produced,
appropriate action would then be taken based on the result.
1. You are the nurse working on the telemetry unit and you have finally got-
ten to sit down to work on some charting. Suddenly the heart monitors at the
station start beeping. Patient in room 18 is showing this rhythm on the
monitor.The medical team advances together into the room and finds them
unconscious. What is priority action by the nurse?
A) Prepare to administer adenosine to the patient
B) Begin chest compressions
C) Prepare for defibrillation
D) Check for a pulse: <Answer>: D
A pulse would be assessed for first. Then the patient will be defibrillized and chest
compressions will begin immediately.
2. The patient who has recently been experiencing runs of ventricular tachy-
cardia suddenly loses consciousness.The patient is defibrillated, and the rate
returns as the following. What should the nurse do first?
,A) Begin compressions
B) Shock the client again immediately
C) Prepare for intubation
D) Administer adenosine: <Answer>: A
Following defibrillation, CPR is immediately initiated if a perfusable rhythm is not
initiated. The client may need to be shocked again, but chest compressions must
begin first.
3. The patient with a history of hypertension and diabetes has the following
rhythm strip.The patient's vitals are as follows: BP 145/89, HR 90, SpO2 95%,
RR 19. Which of the following does the nurse expect to do at this time?
a) Prepare the client for cardioversion STAT
b) Begin administering anticoagulants
c) Grab the crash cart for administration of adenosine
d) Teach the client about possibility of pacemaker installation: A nswer: B
,Atrial flutter places the client at high risk for development of clot formation in the
atria. Because the client is stable at this time, cardioversion or adenosine would not be
performed at this time. Before cardioversion can occur in a patient, anticoagulant
therapy should be begun at least 48 hours beforehand if possible.
4. The nurse is preparing to administer adenosine to the patient with the
following rhythm which is symptomatic.What should the nurse plan on having in
the patient room? Select All That Apply:
a) Physician
b) Crash cart
c) IV pump
d) EKG monitor
e) Lidocaine: <Answer>: A, B, and D
, Adenosine is administered as a very quick IV push. The physician must be present in
the room and the crash cart must be on hand. An ekg monitor should be in the room
to monitor the effectiveness of the medication.
5. The nurse has just administered adenosine via IV push and sees the follow- ing
rhythm on the monitor. What is the nurse's priority intervention?
a) Apply conductive gel and defibrillate the patient
b) Document the findings and continue to monitor
c) Administer another mg of the medication
d) Begin chest compressions: <Answer>: B
This finding would be expected upon administration of adenosine.The rhythm should
then begin again in some other rhythm, hopefully normal sinus rhythm. It would be
important to document the exact time of this change and continue to monitor the
change back to NSR. If this change does not occur, or if another rhythm is produced,
appropriate action would then be taken based on the result.
