ATI RN
Cardiovascular System Exam Questions
1. The nurse is caring for a client on heparin. What is the most important lab value to monitor?
- A. aPTT
- B. INR
- C. Platelet count
- D. Hemoglobin
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: aPTT. When a client is on heparin therapy, monitoring the aPTT is crucial. The aPTT helps assess the effectiveness of heparin in preventing blood clots and guides dose adjustments as needed. INR (Choice B) is more commonly used to monitor warfarin therapy. Platelet count (Choice C) is important to assess for potential bleeding disorders or thrombocytopenia but is not the primary lab value to monitor for heparin therapy. Hemoglobin (Choice D) is essential for assessing oxygen-carrying capacity but is not the most important lab value to monitor when a client is on heparin.
2. Which heart chamber receives venous blood returning to the heart via the superior and inferior vena cava?
- A. Right atrium
- B. Left atrium
- C. Right ventricle
- D. Left ventricle
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Right atrium. The right atrium is the heart chamber that receives deoxygenated blood returning from the body via the superior and inferior vena cava. The blood enters the right atrium from the vena cava and then passes through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs, the right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs for oxygenation, and the left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the body.
3. What is the condition where the blood flow through the coronary arteries is reduced or blocked, leading to chest pain or heart attack?
- A. Coronary artery disease
- B. Atherosclerosis
- C. Pulmonary embolism
- D. Pulmonary hypertension
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A, Coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD occurs when the coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle and increasing the risk of chest pain or heart attack. Choice B, Atherosclerosis, is a condition characterized by the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to the buildup of plaque. Choices C and D, Pulmonary embolism and Pulmonary hypertension, involve issues related to the lungs and not the coronary arteries.
4. Which term refers to the contraction phase of the heart when blood is ejected from the chambers?
- A. Systole
- B. Diastole
- C. Contractility
- D. Afterload
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A, systole. Systole is the phase of the cardiac cycle when the heart contracts and pumps blood out of the chambers. During diastole (choice B), the heart relaxes and fills with blood, contrasting with systole. Contractility (choice C) refers to the ability of the heart to contract effectively. Afterload (choice D) is the pressure the heart must work against to eject blood during systole.
5. Where is the impulse from the SA node delayed, enabling atrial contraction to complete before the ventricles are stimulated and contract?
- A. AV node
- B. Bundle of His
- C. SA node
- D. Aorta
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is AV node. The AV node is responsible for delaying the impulse from the SA node, allowing the atria to contract before the ventricles. This delay ensures the effective pumping of blood in a coordinated manner. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the Bundle of His is responsible for transmitting the impulse to the Purkinje fibers, the SA node is the pacemaker of the heart responsible for initiating the heartbeat, and the aorta is the main artery carrying oxygenated blood from the heart to the body, respectively, none of which are involved in delaying the impulse to allow atrial contraction before ventricular contraction.
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