this is a condition where a blood clot forms in a vein often in the legs which can cause pain and swelling and may lead to serious complications if it
Logo

Nursing Elites

ATI RN

Cardiovascular System Practice Exam

1. What is a condition where a blood clot forms in a vein, often in the legs, which can cause pain and swelling and may lead to serious complications if it travels to the lungs?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the correct answer. It is a condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the legs. If the clot breaks loose and travels to the lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism. Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that are not typically associated with blood clots. Aneurysm is the abnormal swelling or bulging of a blood vessel.

2. Which chronic respiratory condition is characterized by the narrowing and inflammation of the airways, leading to difficulty breathing?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Asthma is the correct answer. It is a chronic respiratory condition where the airways become inflamed and narrowed, leading to episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Asthma is characterized by reversible airflow obstruction, differentiating it from COPD, which involves irreversible airflow limitation. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes without the same reversible airflow obstruction seen in asthma. Pneumonia is an infection of the lung tissue and does not involve chronic inflammation and narrowing of the airways like asthma.

3. What does the PR interval measure?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The PR interval measures the time it takes for the electrical impulse to travel from the atria to the ventricles. It is crucial in diagnosing heart rhythm disorders, as abnormalities in this interval can indicate conduction abnormalities between the atria and ventricles. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. The QRS complex represents ventricular depolarization, the QT interval represents the duration of ventricular repolarization, and the ST segment represents the time between ventricular depolarization and repolarization.

4. Which procedure is used to restore a normal heart rhythm in patients with arrhythmias, typically using electrical shocks?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Cardioversion. Cardioversion is the procedure used to restore a normal heart rhythm in patients with arrhythmias by delivering controlled electrical shocks to the heart. Choice B, Defibrillation, is incorrect because defibrillation is used to treat life-threatening arrhythmias by delivering an unsynchronized high-energy shock to the heart. Choice C, Ablation, is incorrect as it involves destroying abnormal tissue that causes arrhythmias, not necessarily restoring normal heart rhythm. Choice D, Angioplasty, is unrelated to heart rhythm restoration and is a procedure to open blocked or narrowed blood vessels.

5. Which term refers to the ability of the heart to initiate impulses repetitively and spontaneously?

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Automaticity. Automaticity is the specific term used to describe the heart's ability to generate impulses repetitively and spontaneously. Contractility (A) refers to the ability of muscle fibers to contract, not the initiation of impulses. Excitability (B) is the ability of cells to respond to stimuli but is not specific to the heart's impulse generation. Rhythmicity (D) is a related term but does not specifically describe the heart's spontaneous impulse initiation.

Similar Questions

What test measures the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time, typically 24 to 48 hours?
What term refers to the degree of myocardial fiber stretch before contraction, related to the volume of blood distending the ventricles at the end of diastole, and determined by the amount of venous return?
What is a condition where the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients?
This is a procedure where a small mesh tube is inserted into an artery to keep it open and improve blood flow.
A client on spironolactone (Aldactone) has a potassium level of 6.0 mEq/L. What is the nurse’s priority action?

Access More Features

ATI RN Basic
$69.99/ 30 days

  • 5,000 Questions with answers
  • All ATI courses Coverage
  • 30 days access

ATI RN Premium
$149.99/ 90 days

  • 5,000 Questions with answers
  • All ATI courses Coverage
  • 30 days access

Other Courses