A client comes to the emergency department with complaints of chest pain after using cocaine. The nurse assesses the client and obtains vital signs with results as follows: blood pressure 140/92, heart rate 128, respiratory rate 26, and an oxygen saturation of 98%. What rhythm on the monitor does the nurse anticipate viewing?

Sinus bradycardia

Ventricular tachycardia

Normal sinus rhythm

Sinus tachycardia

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

A. Sinus bradycardia is characterized by a heart rate below 60 beats/min, which is inconsistent with this client’s elevated heart rate of 128.
B. Ventricular tachycardia is a potentially life-threatening rhythm with wide QRS complexes, usually not the immediate expected rhythm without other signs such as hypotension or loss of consciousness.
C. Normal sinus rhythm has a heart rate between 60–100 beats/min; this client’s rate of 128 exceeds that range.
D. Sinus tachycardia is the most likely rhythm, especially in a client who has used cocaine, a stimulant known to increase sympathetic nervous system activity, leading to increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure.

Nursing Test Bank

Quiz #1: RN Exams Pharmacology Exams Quiz #2: RN Exams Medical-Surgical Exams Quiz #3: RN Exams Fundamentals Exams Quiz #4: RN Exams Maternal-Newborn Exams Quiz #5: RN Exams Anatomy and Physiology Exams Quiz #6: RN Exams Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Quiz #7: RN Exams Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Quiz #8: RN Exams Community Health Exams Quiz #9: RN Exams Promoting Health across the lifespan Exams Quiz #10: RN Exams Multidimensional care Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Quiz #1: Naxlex RN Comprehensive online practice 2019 B with NGN Quiz #2: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Quiz #3: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Exit Exam A Quiz #4: Naxlex HESI Exit LPN Exam Quiz #5: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor PN 2020 Quiz #6: Naxlex VATI PN Comprehensive Predictor 2020 Quiz #8: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 - Exam 1 Quiz #10: Naxlex HESI PN Exit exam Quiz #11: Naxlex HESI PN EXIT Exam 2

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Transcutaneous pacing may be considered if the bradycardia does not respond to initial medical management, but it is not the first intervention.
B. Administering atropine IV is the first-line treatment for symptomatic bradycardia. Atropine works by increasing heart rate through its anticholinergic effects, helping to improve cardiac output and consciousness.
C. CPR is only indicated if the client is pulseless or not breathing. Since this client is still breathing, CPR is not appropriate at this stage.
D. Cardioversion is used for certain tachyarrhythmias (e.g., atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response), not for bradycardia.

A. Blood to flow back from the left atrium to the left ventricle B. Blood to flow back from the aorta to the left ventricle C. Obstruction of blood from the left atrium to the left ventricle D. Obstruction of blood flow from the left ventricle

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Blood flowing back from the left atrium to the left ventricle describes mitral regurgitation, not aortic regurgitation.
B. Aortic regurgitation involves the backflow of blood from the aorta into the left ventricle during diastole due to an incompetent aortic valve. This leads to volume overload in the left ventricle.
C. Obstruction of blood from the left atrium to the left ventricle occurs in mitral stenosis, not aortic regurgitation.
D. Obstruction of blood flow from the left ventricle is characteristic of aortic stenosis, not aortic regurgitation.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

The nurse is caring for a client who suddenly develops bradycardia. The client is breathing but with a decreased level of consciousness and decreased blood pressure. Which of the following treatments would be done by the nurse first?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A client with aortic regurgitation is being transferred from the critical care unit to the step-down unit. The nurse receiving the patient in the step-down unit is aware that aortic regurgitation causes:

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A nurse is assessing a client who has infective endocarditis. Which of the following findings should be the priority for the nurse to report to the provider?

While admitting an 82-year-old with acute decompensated heart failure to the hospital, the nurse learns that the client lives alone and sometimes confuses the "water pill" with the "heart pill." When planning for the client's discharge the nurse will facilitate a

The nurse is caring for a client experiencing dyspnea, dependent edema, hepatomegaly, crackles, and jugular vein distention. What condition should the nurse suspect?

A nurse providing postoperative teaching to a client who has received a valve replacement discusses the importance of antibiotic prophylaxis prior to any dental or surgical procedure. The nurse understands that antibiotic prophylaxis prevents which of the following in these clients?

The nurse notes that a client's cardiac monitor shows that every other beat is earlier than expected, has no visible P wave, and has a QRS complex that is wide and bizarre in shape. How will the nurse document the rhythm?

A nurse is evaluating the central venous pressure (CVP) of a client who has sustained multiple traumas. Which of the following interpretations of a low CVP pressure should the nurse make?

A nurse is admitting a client who has a history of heart failure. Exhibits Check the 3 findings that require immediate follow-up.