CATEGORY 1: HEART FAILURE FUNDAMENTALS
This chronic condition results when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
Answer: What is heart failure?
This medication increases the strength of heart contractions and slows the heart rate.
Answer: What is digoxin?
This condition occurs when oxygen demand exceeds supply due to narrowed coronary arteries.
Answer: What is angina pectoris?
Patients taking nitroglycerin should sit down before taking it due to this common side effect.
Answer: What is hypotension or dizziness?
These medications reduce cholesterol by binding bile acids in the intestine.
Answer: What are bile acid sequestrants (e.g., cholestyramine)?
This system activates when cardiac output decreases, leading to sodium and water retention that worsens heart failure.
Answer: What is the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS)?
Before giving digoxin, the nurse should check this vital sign for one full minute.
Answer: What is the apical pulse?
This nitrate relieves angina by dilating veins and arteries, reducing workload on the heart.
Answer: What is nitroglycerin?
How does Milrinone effect platelets?
Answer: What is thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)?
Statins like atorvastatin work by blocking this liver enzyme.
Answer: What is HMG-CoA reductase?
The percentage of blood pumped out of the left ventricle with each beat is called this.
Answer: What is the ejection fraction?
This is the therapeutic serum level range for digoxin.
Answer: What is 0.5 to 2.0 ng/mL?
This beta-blocker reduces angina attacks by decreasing heart rate and contractility.
Answer: What is metoprolol?
When teaching about bile acid sequestrants like cholestyramine, the nurse should remind patients to take other medications at least this long before or after.
Answer: What is 1 hour before or 4–6 hours after cholestyramine?
This medication blocks cholesterol absorption in the small intestine.
Answer: What is ezetimibe?
This compensatory mechanism initially helps cardiac output but later causes heart enlargement and stiffness.
Answer: What is ventricular hypertrophy?
Nausea, vomiting, and yellow-green halos around lights indicate this dangerous condition.
Answer: What is digoxin toxicity?
This calcium channel blocker treats angina by relaxing coronary arteries and reducing afterload.
Answer: What is diltiazem?
Statins should be taken at this time of day for maximum effect.
Answer: What is evening?
This enzyme is monitored in patients taking statins to detect muscle injury.
Answer: What is creatine kinase (CK)?
This type of heart failure occurs when the left ventricle cannot contract effectively, resulting in reduced ejection fraction.
Answer: What is systolic heart failure?
This IV medication is used for short-term treatment of severe heart failure unresponsive to other drugs.
Answer: What is milrinone?
Patients should avoid this fruit while taking calcium channel blockers because it increases drug levels.
Answer: What is grapefruit?
This adverse effect of statins can lead to severe muscle breakdown and kidney damage.
Answer: What is rhabdomyolysis?
Garlic and omega-3 fatty acids are considered these types of cholesterol-lowering options.
Answer: What are alternative therapies?