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Health Assessment: Chapter 12 - Heart and
Peripheral Vascular System Questions and
Answers (100% Correct Answers)
A nurse informs a patient that her blood pressure is 128/78. The patient asks what
the number 128 means. What is the nurse's appropriate response? The 128
represents the pressure in your blood vessels when:
a. "The ventricles relax and the aortic and pulmonic valves open."
b. "The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves close."
c. "The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves open."
d. "The ventricles relax and the aortic and pulmonic valves close."
Ans: b. "The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves close."
A nurse determines that a patient has a heart rate of 42 beats per minute. What might
be a cause of this heart rate?
a. Sinoatrial (SA) node failure
b. Atrial bradycardia
c. A well-conditioned heart muscle
d. Left ventricular hypertrophy
Ans: a. Sinoatrial (SA) node failure
While taking a history, a nurse learns that a patient had rheumatic heart disease as a
child. Based on this information, what abnormal data might this nurse expect to find
during an examination?
a. An extra beat just before the S2 heart sound heard during auscultation
b. A raspy machine-like or blowing sound heard during auscultation
c. A prominent thrust of the heart against the chest wall felt on palpation
d. A visible indentation of pericardial tissue noted during inspection
Ans: b. A raspy machine-like or blowing sound heard during auscultation
A nurse is completing a symptom analysis with a patient complaining of chest pain.
When asked what makes the chest pain worse, the patient reports that coughing and
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sneezing increase the chest pain. Based on these data, what does the nurse suspect
as the cause of this patient's chest pain?
a. Stable angina
b. Esophageal reflux disease
c. Mitral valve prolapse
d. Costochondritis
Ans: d. Costochondritis
The patient describes her chest pain as "squeezing, crushing, and 12 on a scale of
10." This pain started more than an hour ago while she was resting, and she also
feels nauseous. Based on these findings, the nurse should assess for which
associated symptoms?
a. Tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypertension
b. Dyspnea, diaphoresis, and palpitations
c. Hyperventilation, fatigue, anorexia, and emotional strain
d. Fever, dyspnea, orthopnea, and friction rub
Ans: b. Dyspnea, diaphoresis, and palpitations
When auscultating the heart of a patient with pericarditis, the nurse expects to hear
which sound?
a. A systolic murmur
b. An S3 heart sound
c. A friction rub
d. An S4 heart sound
Ans: c. A friction rub
Which patient's statement helps a nurse distinguish between chest pain originating
from pericarditis rather than from angina?
a. "No, I have not done anything to strain chest muscles."
b. "If I take a deep breath, the pain gets much worse."
c. "This pain feels like there's an elephant sitting on my chest."
Health Assessment: Chapter 12 - Heart and
Peripheral Vascular System Questions and
Answers (100% Correct Answers)
A nurse informs a patient that her blood pressure is 128/78. The patient asks what
the number 128 means. What is the nurse's appropriate response? The 128
represents the pressure in your blood vessels when:
a. "The ventricles relax and the aortic and pulmonic valves open."
b. "The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves close."
c. "The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves open."
d. "The ventricles relax and the aortic and pulmonic valves close."
Ans: b. "The ventricles contract and the mitral and tricuspid valves close."
A nurse determines that a patient has a heart rate of 42 beats per minute. What might
be a cause of this heart rate?
a. Sinoatrial (SA) node failure
b. Atrial bradycardia
c. A well-conditioned heart muscle
d. Left ventricular hypertrophy
Ans: a. Sinoatrial (SA) node failure
While taking a history, a nurse learns that a patient had rheumatic heart disease as a
child. Based on this information, what abnormal data might this nurse expect to find
during an examination?
a. An extra beat just before the S2 heart sound heard during auscultation
b. A raspy machine-like or blowing sound heard during auscultation
c. A prominent thrust of the heart against the chest wall felt on palpation
d. A visible indentation of pericardial tissue noted during inspection
Ans: b. A raspy machine-like or blowing sound heard during auscultation
A nurse is completing a symptom analysis with a patient complaining of chest pain.
When asked what makes the chest pain worse, the patient reports that coughing and
, 2 Inquire through: | Professional | Confidential Support
sneezing increase the chest pain. Based on these data, what does the nurse suspect
as the cause of this patient's chest pain?
a. Stable angina
b. Esophageal reflux disease
c. Mitral valve prolapse
d. Costochondritis
Ans: d. Costochondritis
The patient describes her chest pain as "squeezing, crushing, and 12 on a scale of
10." This pain started more than an hour ago while she was resting, and she also
feels nauseous. Based on these findings, the nurse should assess for which
associated symptoms?
a. Tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypertension
b. Dyspnea, diaphoresis, and palpitations
c. Hyperventilation, fatigue, anorexia, and emotional strain
d. Fever, dyspnea, orthopnea, and friction rub
Ans: b. Dyspnea, diaphoresis, and palpitations
When auscultating the heart of a patient with pericarditis, the nurse expects to hear
which sound?
a. A systolic murmur
b. An S3 heart sound
c. A friction rub
d. An S4 heart sound
Ans: c. A friction rub
Which patient's statement helps a nurse distinguish between chest pain originating
from pericarditis rather than from angina?
a. "No, I have not done anything to strain chest muscles."
b. "If I take a deep breath, the pain gets much worse."
c. "This pain feels like there's an elephant sitting on my chest."
