What positive outcome should a nurse anticipate in a patient taking Vasotec, an Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitor?

Choice A rationale
A pleural friction rub is an audible raspy breathing sound, a medical sign present in some patients with pleurisy and other conditions affecting the chest cavity. It is not a typical symptom of cardiac tamponade.
Choice B rationale
Distended neck veins are a result of the collapsed blood vessels that should return blood to the heart. This is a common symptom of cardiac tamponade.
Choice C rationale
Widening pulse pressure occurs with valvular heart disease, not typically with cardiac tamponade.
Choice D rationale
Bradycardia, or a slower-than-normal heart rate, is not typically associated with cardiac tamponade.

Choice A rationale
Sinus tachycardia is a regular, rapid heart rate caused by rapid firing of the sinoatrial node. It is characterized by a heart rate of greater than 100 beats per minute, and P waves are present before each QRS complex. This does not match the description given.
Choice B rationale
Ventricular tachycardia is a fast, regular beating of the ventricles that may last for only a few seconds or for much longer. In this condition, the ventricular rate is often between 120 and 200 beats per minute, and P waves are not associated with the QRS complexes. This matches the description given.
Choice C rationale
Ventricular fibrillation is a severe condition in which the heart beats with rapid, erratic electrical impulses. This causes the ventricles to quiver uselessly instead of pumping blood. The description does not match this condition.
Choice D rationale
Atrial flutter is a condition that shares similarities with atrial fibrillation, both involve an irregular heartbeat. However, atrial flutter is more organized and less chaotic than atrial fibrillation, which can make it more manageable. The description does not match this condition.