Cardiovascular Assessment & Monitoring Flashcards
7 cards from real ABPANC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Cardiovascular Assessment & Monitoring flashcards as text
A perianesthesia nurse notes the patient's pulse pressure has narrowed (systolic 92 mmHg, diastolic 84 mmHg). This finding is MOST suggestive of:
Answer: Decreased stroke volume and reduced cardiac output
Narrowed pulse pressure (small difference between systolic and diastolic) reflects decreased stroke volume and reduced cardiac output, commonly seen in cardiogenic shock or cardiac tamponade.
When a post-operative patient develops a new dysrhythmia on continuous cardiac monitoring, the MOST important initial nursing action is:
Answer: Assess the patient's hemodynamic status and level of consciousness first
The clinical priority is assessing the patient's hemodynamic stability and consciousness, because treatment urgency and type depend on whether the dysrhythmia is causing compromise.
In the PACU, which patient position is MOST appropriate for a hypotensive patient with no contraindications?
Answer: Modified Trendelenburg (supine with legs elevated 15–30 degrees)
Modified Trendelenburg with legs elevated 15–30 degrees uses gravity to increase venous return to the heart, temporarily improving preload and blood pressure in hypotensive patients.
A patient recovering from general anesthesia has a heart rate of 112 bpm. Which cause should the perianesthesia nurse assess for FIRST?
Answer: Pain, anxiety, fever, or hypovolemia as common reversible causes
Post-operative sinus tachycardia is most commonly caused by reversible factors—pain, anxiety, inadequate analgesia, fever, or hypovolemia—that must be assessed and corrected first.
The perianesthesia nurse observes a prolonged QT interval on the cardiac monitor. This finding most increases the patient's risk for which life-threatening dysrhythmia?
Answer: Torsades de pointes
A prolonged QT interval indicates delayed ventricular repolarization, creating a vulnerable period that predisposes patients to torsades de pointes, a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia that can degenerate into ventricular fibrillation.
A post-operative patient receiving IV potassium develops peaked T waves on the cardiac monitor. The nurse should IMMEDIATELY:
Answer: Stop the potassium infusion and notify the physician for reassessment of potassium level
Peaked T waves are an early ECG sign of hyperkalemia, which can rapidly progress to fatal dysrhythmias; the infusion must be stopped immediately and the physician notified for laboratory reassessment.
When a perianesthesia nurse auscultates a new S3 heart sound in a post-operative patient, this finding MOST likely indicates:
Answer: Decreased ventricular compliance or early heart failure with volume overload
An S3 (ventricular gallop) heard post-operatively indicates the ventricle is meeting resistance to rapid filling during diastole, suggesting early heart failure or fluid overload.