Cardiac Diagnostics
This lab value, elevated in heart failure, indicates ventricular stretch.
This is the classic auscultation finding for pleurisy, described as a grating sound.
What is a Pleural Friction Rub? (Inflammation of the pleural lining rubbing together).
This class of anti-hypertensive (ending in "-pril") is known for causing a persistent, dry cough.
What are ACE Inhibitors? (e.g., Lisinopril. They block the conversion of Angiotensin I to II, leading to bradykinin buildup and a dry cough).
This is the maximum flow rate (in liters) a standard nasal cannula can deliver.
What is 6 Liters? (1-6 L/min is the standard range for a nasal cannula).
Patients with this condition have a barrel chest and use pursed-lip breathing.
This type of hypertension has no identifiable cause and accounts for 90-95% of cases.
What is Primary (or Essential) Hypertension? (No identifiable cause; risk factors include genetics, age, diet).
This assessment finding is a hallmark of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), where the skin is shiny, hairless, and pulses are weak.
What is PAD (Peripheral Artery Disease)? ("Arterial = Away". Lack of perfusion leads to hair loss, shiny skin, weak pulses).
When administering Digoxin, the nurse must hold the dose and notify the provider if the heart rate is below this number.
This device provides a precise, high-flow mixture of air and oxygen (up to 60 L/min) with heated humidification.
This is the medical term for a collapsed lung due to airway obstruction or lack of surfactant.
This diagnostic test is the gold standard for diagnosing a Pulmonary Embolism.
What is a CTA (CT Angiography)? (Gold standard for visualizing clots in the pulmonary arteries).
In this condition, the patient experiences sudden, severe chest pain that worsens with breathing, but has clear lungs and no fever.
This diuretic class (ending in "-ide") acts on the Loop of Henle and causes profound loss of potassium.
This is the target SpO2 range for a patient with COPD, because too much oxygen can blunt their hypoxic drive.
What is 88% to 92%? (COPD patients rely on hypoxic drive. Over-oxygenating can cause them to stop breathing).
This condition is characterized by a chronic cough producing excessive mucus for at least 3 months for 2 consecutive years.
This type of pneumothorax requires immediate needle decompression due to tracheal deviation and severe hypotension.
What is a Tension Pneumothorax? (Air accumulates, pushing the heart and trachea to the opposite side, requiring immediate needle decompression).
These are the classic signs of Laryngeal Cancer that warrant immediate medical evaluation, especially if lasting longer than 2 weeks.
What is Hoarseness lasting >2 weeks and a persistent neck mass? (Early signs of laryngeal cancer).
This medication is the antidote for severe opioid-induced respiratory depression.
What is Naloxone (Narcan)? (Opioid antagonist).
When a patient with a tracheostomy is in severe distress with no air movement, this is the immediate priority action.
This is the phase of ARDS where fluid and surfactant slowly build up in the lungs, causing severe dyspnea and hypoxemia.
What is the Exudative (or Acute) Phase? (Fluid and surfactant build up in the alveoli, causing pulmonary edema and severe hypoxemia).
This assessment finding in a patient with a pulmonary embolism indicates right heart strain or obstruction of pulmonary blood flow.
What is Primary (no identifiable cause) vs. Secondary (caused by an underlying condition like renal disease or endocrine disorders)?
If a patient has a pleural effusion, this is the expected finding upon percussion of the chest.
What is Dullness? (Fluid is denser than air, so it produces a flat or dull sound on percussion).
This medication class (e.g., Albuterol) works by stimulating Beta-2 receptors to cause bronchodilation and is used during acute asthma attacks.
If a chest tube shows continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber, this is the first nursing action.
In ARDS, this specific ventilator strategy is used to keep the alveoli open and improve oxygenation.