Cardiac Dysrhythmias
The nurse should prioritize this action for a patient in pulseless Ventricular Fibrillation.
What is defibrillation?
A patient with SVT at a rate of 194 is being prepared to receive Adenocard (Adenosine) IV. The nurse that this phenomenon will occur immediately after the medication is given.
What is asystole for several seconds after administration?
The nurse is assessing a patient who has distended neck veins, abdominal fullness, and peripheral edema. The nurse knows that this patient is experiencing which type of heart failure?
What is right-sided heart failure?
After a viral infection, a patient presents with acute myocarditis. The nurse is aware that these are the most common symptoms of this disease process.
What are vague flu symptoms?
The ICU nurse is preparing to wean a patient from the ventilator. The nurse is aware that which parameter is important to assess prior to weaning?
What are baseline ABG's?
This is the most commonly used graft site vessel for a CABG procedure.
What is the saphenous vein?
A patient has been placed on a milrinone (Primacor) infusion as part of the therapy for end-stage heart failure. The nurse is aware that this is the major side effect of this drug.
What are cardiac dysrhythmias?
A patient with a history of left-sided heart failure is brought to the ED with acute SOB and productive cough of thick pink sputum. The nurse recognizes that this patient is experiencing what acute medical emergency?
What is acute pulmonary edema?
The nurse is auscultating the breath sounds of a patient with pericarditis. This findings finding is most consistent with this diagnosis.
What is a pericardial friction rub?
The nurse is caring for a trauma patient post MVA and suspects that the patient has developed pleurisy. This assessment finding helps verify the nurses suspicion of pleurisy.
What is pain that intensifies when the patient coughs or takes a deep breath?
A patient has A-Fib with RVR at a rate of 198bpm. The nurse is aware that this is the immediate goal of treatment for the patient.
What is control the ventricular rate?
The nurse is caring for a patient who is receiving an intravenous infusion of dobutamine. The nurse is aware that the goal of dobutamine is what?
What is increasing the cardiac output (CO)?
This is the primary electrolyte involved in the progression of the cardiomyopathies.
What is sodium?
Immediately after the intubation stylet is removed from the ETT on intubation, this the first (immediate) step in the process of verifying correct ETT placement.
What is connecting the end-tidal CO2 detector and assessing for appropriate color change?
What is intubation?
A patient has a sudden onset of sinus bradycardia and is not responding adequately to atropine. The patient is beginning to decompensate (70/56 and HR 30 bpm). This is the next priority treatment of choice.
What is transcutaneous packing?
A patient with heart failure has begun treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Prior to giving the dose, the nurse should prioritize what assessment?
What is blood pressure?
Dilated, non-hypertrophic ventricles is a characteristic is which of the cardiomyopathies?
What is dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)?
This chest XRay finding would be consistent with a large left pneumothorax.
Shifting of the mediastinum to the right.
Describe 4 assessment findings for a patient with flail chest.
What are cyanosis, hypotension, paradoxical chest movement, and dyspnea?
This type of atrioventricular (AV) block can be described as a gradually lengthening PR interval until ultimately the final P wave in the group fails to conduct.
What is a second degree type 1 heart block (Wenkebach)?
Following an AMI, a patient is experiencing an increase in acute dysrhythmias. The nurse anticipates that the provider will order this drug to control the dysrhythmias.
What is amiodarone (Cordarone)?
This coronary vessel is affected by an acute anterior wall MI with ST elevations in leads V1-V4 and reciprocal changes in leads II, III, an aVF.
What is the left anterior descending artery (LAD)?
Describe one NURSING INTERVENTION that helps to decrease the incidence of VAP in the ICU.
What is elevating the HOB 30-45 degrees in intubated patients when HOB elevation is not contraindicated?
Describe the assessment findings with pulsus paradoxus.
What is a systolic blood pressure that is lower during inhalation?