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Hemodynamic Monitoring Flashcards

7 cards from real CVT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Hemodynamic Monitoring flashcards as text

  1. A patient's pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) is 22 mmHg. This finding most likely indicates:

    Answer: Left ventricular failure

    An elevated PCWP above 18 mmHg reflects increased left atrial pressure, indicating left ventricular failure or fluid overload.

  2. During thermodilution cardiac output measurement, which factor would cause a falsely HIGH cardiac output reading?

    Answer: Injecting cold injectate too slowly

    Injecting the cold injectate too slowly allows it to warm before reaching the thermistor, producing a smaller temperature change and falsely elevated CO calculation.

  3. Which hemodynamic parameter is calculated using the formula: (MAP - RAP) / CO × 80?

    Answer: Systemic vascular resistance (SVR)

    SVR = (MAP − RAP) / CO × 80, expressed in dyne·sec·cm⁻⁵, quantifying afterload to the left ventricle.

  4. A patient has a cardiac output of 4 L/min and a body surface area of 2.0 m². What is the cardiac index?

    Answer: 2.0 L/min/m²

    Cardiac index = CO / BSA = 4 / 2.0 = 2.0 L/min/m², which is at the lower limit of normal (normal: 2.2–4.0).

  5. Which waveform component of the arterial pressure tracing represents the closure of the aortic valve?

    Answer: Dicrotic notch

    The dicrotic notch is a brief pressure rise followed by a dip on the descending limb, marking aortic valve closure at the end of systole.

  6. When zeroing an arterial line transducer, the stopcock should be positioned at the level of the:

    Answer: Phlebostatic axis (right atrium)

    The phlebostatic axis (4th intercostal space, mid-axillary line) approximates the right atrium and is the standard reference for zeroing vascular pressure transducers.

  7. A CVT observes a pulmonary artery waveform that has changed to a wedge (PCWP) waveform without balloon inflation. The most appropriate immediate action is to:

    Answer: Notify the physician of catheter migration

    Spontaneous wedging indicates the catheter has migrated distally and poses a risk of pulmonary infarction, requiring immediate physician notification.