Deck 22: Structure and Function of the Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems

Question 1

A 13-year-old female took a weight loss drug that activated the sympathetic nervous system.Which of the following assessment findings would the nurse expect?

A) Decreased myocardial contraction
B) Decreased heart rate
C) Increased cardiac conduction
D) Increased intranodal conduction time

Answer 1

Increased cardiac conduction

Question 2

A 54-year-old male is diagnosed with left bundle branch block.Which of the following structures would not receive an electrical impulse?

A) Atrioventricular (AV) node
B) Sinoatrial (SA) node
C) Bundle of His
D) The left ventricle

Answer 2

The left ventricle

Question 3

When a staff member asks where venous blood from the coronary circulation drains into,what is the best response by the nurse? The:

A) Superior vena cava
B) Inferior vena cava
C) Right atrium
D) Reft atrium

Answer 3

Right atrium

Question 4

The _____ represents the sum of all ventricular muscle cell depolarization.

A) PR interval
B) QRS complex
C) QT interval
D) P wave

Question 5

A nurse recalls the chamber that receives blood from the systemic circulation is the:

A) Right atrium
B) Right ventricle
C) Left atrium
D) Left ventricle

Question 6

While viewing the electrocardiogram,the nurse recalls the _____ conducts action potentials down the atrioventricular septum.

A) Bachmann bundle
B) Bundle of His
C) Sinoatrial node
D) Atrioventricular node

Question 7

A 65-year-old male develops blockage in the pulmonary artery.As a result of the blockage,blood would first back up into the:

A) Aorta
B) Left ventricle
C) Pulmonary veins
D) Right ventricle

Question 8

Which statement indicates the nurse understands blood flow? Oxygenated blood flows through the:

A) Superior vena cava
B) Pulmonary veins
C) Pulmonary artery
D) Cardiac veins

Question 9

A cardiologist is discussing valves with the staff.Which information should the cardiologist include? _____ are the anchors of the atrioventricular valves.

A) Chordae tendineae cordis
B) Great vessels
C) Coronary ostia
D) Trabeculae carneae

Question 10

A 52-year-old female is admitted to the cardiac unit with a diagnosis of pericarditis.She asks the nurse to explain where the infection is.In providing an accurate description,the nurse states that the pericardium is:

A) The outer muscular layer of the heart
B) The innermost layer of the heart chambers
C) A membranous sac that encloses the heart
D) The heart's fibrous skeleton

Question 11

A cardiologist is teaching about the period that follows depolarization of the myocardium and represents a period during which no new cardiac potential can be propagated.What is the cardiologist describing?

A) Absolute refractory
B) Hyperpolarization
C) Resting
D) Threshold

Question 12

Which statement indicates the nurse understands coronary ostia? The coronary ostia (the openings to the coronary arteries)are found in the:

A) Left ventricle
B) Inferior vena cava
C) Coronary sinus
D) Aorta

Question 13

The nurse is reviewing a normal electrocardiogram.The nurse assesses the PR interval because it represents:

A) Atrial depolarization
B) Ventricular depolarization
C) Onset of atrial activation to onset of ventricular activity
D) "Electrical systole" of the ventricles

Question 14

A nurse is teaching about the heart.Which information should the nurse include? The chamber of the heart that generates the highest pressure is the:

A) Right atrium
B) Left atrium
C) Left ventricle
D) Right ventricle

Question 15

The nurse is planning care for a patient with heart problems.Which information should the nurse remember? The _____ artery travels down the interventricular septum and delivers blood to portions of the left and right ventricle.

A) Right coronary
B) Circumflex
C) Left anterior descending
D) Cardiac

Question 16

A nurse is explaining the function of the heart.Which is a correct response by the nurse? A function of the pericardium is to:

A) Provide a barrier against extracardial infections.
B) Improve blood flow through the heart.
C) Play a role in cardiac conduction.
D) Assist in cardiac contraction.

Question 17

A 65-year-old male is transported to the ER for chest pain.An electrocardiogram reveals a prolonged QRS interval.What is the nurse monitoring when the nurse observes the QRS complex on the electrocardiogram? The QRS complex reflects:

A) Ventricular activity
B) Pulmonary artery closure
C) Mitral valve opening
D) Aortic valve closing

Question 18

Which information by the nurse indicates a good understanding of depolarization? Depolarization of a cardiac muscle cell occurs as the result of:

A) A decrease in the permeability of the cell membrane to ions
B) The rapid movement of ions across the cell membrane
C) A blockade by calcium ions
D) Stimuli instigated during the refractory period

Question 19

A 50-year-old female received trauma to the chest that caused severe impairment of the primary pacemaker cells of the heart.Which of the following areas received the greatest damage?

A) Atrioventricular (AV) node
B) Sinoatrial (SA) node
C) Bundle of His
D) Ventricles

Question 20

A 20-year-old male underwent an echocardiogram to assess chest pain.Results revealed a congenital defect in papillary muscles.Which of the following would the nurse expect to occur?

A) Closure of the semilunar valve
B) Backward expulsion of the atrioventricular valves
C) Closure of the atrioventricular valve
D) Backward expulsion of the semilunar valves

Question 21

A cardiologist is teaching about myocardial cells.Which information should the cardiologist include? _____ are thickened areas of the sarcolemma of myocardial cells that enable electrical impulses to travel in a continuous cell-to-cell fashion.

A) Myosins
B) Intercalated disks
C) Troponin Ts
D) I bands

Question 22

A patient has searched on the internet for muscle contractions.Which information indicates a good understanding? Muscle contractions occur when there is a decreased:

A) Distance between Z lines
B) A band length
C) Z line length
D) H zone distance

Question 23

Which principle should the nurse remember when planning nursing care for a patient with heart problems? As stated by the Frank-Starling law,there is a direct relationship between the _____ of the blood in the heart at the end of diastole and the _____ of contraction during the next systole.

A) Pressure, duration
B) Volume, force
C) Viscosity, force
D) Viscosity, duration

Question 24

A 50-year-old female was prescribed a drug that acts as a negative inotrope.Which of the following endogenous substances would be most similar?

A) Acetylcholine
B) Dopamine
C) Epinephrine
D) Thyroid hormone

Question 25

A new drug is released to aid in weight loss.It stimulates the sympathetic system.The nurse monitors for an increased heart rate.The sympathetic system causes this by:

A) Inhibiting the release of catecholamines
B) Altering the threshold potential
C) Decreasing the conduction time through the atrioventricular (AV) node
D) Increasing the influx of calcium

Question 26

When a student nurse asks the nurse how the cardiac electrical impulse normally begins,what is the most correct response? The cardiac electrical impulse normally begins spontaneously in the sinoatrial (SA)node because it:

A) Has a superior location in the right atrium
B) Is the only area of the heart capable of spontaneous depolarization
C) Has rich sympathetic innervation via the vagus nerve
D) Depolarizes more rapidly than other automatic cells of the heart

Question 27

The molecule that aids in bonding of the troponin complex to actin and tropomyosin is troponin:

A) C
B) I
C) T
D) M

Question 28

A nurse assesses the heart after acetylcholine because the effect of acetylcholine on the heart is to:

A) Decrease the refractory period
B) Increase calcium influx
C) Increase the strength of myocardial contraction
D) Decrease the heart rate

Question 29

A nurse recalls the internal lining of the cardiovascular system is formed by what tissue?

A) Tunica adventitia
B) Connective
C) Mesothelium
D) Endothelium

Question 30

_____ is the process by which an action potential in the plasma membrane of a myocardial cell triggers the events that directly cause contraction of the myocardial cells.

A) Electrocontraction
B) Intercalated communication
C) Excitation-contraction coupling
D) Myosin communication

Question 31

Within a normal physiologic range,an increase in left ventricular end-diastolic volume would lead the nurse to monitor for:

A) An increased force of contraction
B) A decrease in cardiac output
C) An increase in heart rate
D) Heart failure

Question 32

Which principle should the nurse remember while planning care for a cardiac patient? Pressure in the left ventricle must exceed pressure in the _____ before the left ventricle can eject blood.

A) Coronary arteries
B) Aorta
C) Inferior vena cava
D) Pulmonary veins

Question 33

A 50-year-old female presents with a low heart rate and low blood pressure.She is given an intravenous (IV)infusion of fluids.The increase in atrial distension results in:

A) Renal retention of fluids
B) Depressed myocardial contractility
C) Release of acetylcholine
D) Increased heart rate

Question 34

After activation of the Bainbridge reflex in a patient,the nurse assesses for:

A) Increased heart rate
B) Decreased blood pressure
C) Increased rate and depth of respirations
D) Decreased myocardial contractility

Question 35

While planning care for a heart patient,which principle should the nurse recall? Right ventricular afterload is affected by:

A) Vascular resistance in the systemic vessels
B) Right end-diastolic pressure
C) Pressures in the vena cava
D) Pulmonary vascular resistance

Question 36

A nurse observes a cardiologist multiplying the heart rate by stroke volume.What is the cardiologist measuring?

A) Vascular resistance
B) Preload
C) Cardiac output
D) Ejection fraction

Question 37

A nurse is discussing the pressure generated at the end of diastole.Which term is the nurse describing?

A) Preload
B) Afterload
C) Systemic vascular resistance
D) Total peripheral resistance

Question 38

To help a nursing student differentiate cardiac muscle from skeletal muscle,which characteristic should the nurse use? One difference between cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle is that:

A) Cardiac muscle cells are arranged in branching networks.
B) Skeletal muscle cells have only one nucleus.
C) Cardiac muscle cells appear striped.
D) Skeletal muscle cells contain sarcomeres.

Question 39

When a nursing student wants to know where the primary cardiovascular control center is located,what is the nurse's best response? In the:

A) Cerebral cortex
B) Midbrain
C) Medulla
D) Cervical spinal cord

Question 40

A 28-year-old female with seizure disorder has a vagus nerve stimulator implanted to help control seizure activity.Which of the following would the nurse also expect to occur?

A) Increased speed of cardiac cycle
B) Increased cardiac contractility
C) Decreased vasodilation
D) Decreased cardiac conduction

Question 41

When a patient wants to know about the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system,what is the nurse's best response? Conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II happens in the:

A) Lungs
B) Liver
C) Kidneys
D) Heart

Question 42

Increases in which of the following would cause the nurse to assess for decreased blood flow? (Select all that apply.)

A) Blood viscosity
B) Blood vessel diameter
C) Blood pressure
D) Blood vessel length

Question 43

A nurse is assessing the heart rate.The nurse obtains a normal heart rate.The average heart rate in a healthy adult is _____ beats per minute.

Question 44

The thoracic lymphatic duct drains into the:

A) Left subclavian artery
B) Right atrium
C) Right subclavian vein
D) Left subclavian vein

Question 45

The nurse is measuring cardiac output in a resting patient.the normal baseline for cardiac output in this patient is _____ L/min.

Question 46

A patient researches baroreceptors online.Which information indicates a good understanding? Baroreceptors are located in the:

A) Renal artery
B) Superior vena cava
C) Carotid sinus
D) Circle of Willis

Question 47

Important mechanisms for maintaining venous return to the right atrium include (elect all that apply):

A) Cardiac output
B) Atrioventricular (AV) valves
C) Skeletal muscle contraction
D) Blood volume
E) Vascular tone

Question 48

A nurse is evaluating the direct end effect of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.Which principle should the nurse remember?

A) Angiotensin II causes systemic vasoconstriction.
B) Renin promotes the excretion of sodium and water in the renal tubules.
C) Aldosterone increases renal retention of water only.
D) Angiotensin I promotes sodium and water reabsorption by the kidneys.

Question 49

A nurse is discussing the different types of regulation.Which regulation is the nurse describing? Local myogenic regulation of blood vessel diameter and thus blood flow through a vessel is an example of:

A) Autonomic regulation
B) Somatic regulation
C) Autoregulation
D) Metabolic regulation

Question 50

A nurse is evaluating stroke volume.Which of the following factors affect stroke volume? (Select all that apply.)

A) Preload
B) Peripheral vascular resistance
C) Afterload
D) Ejection fraction
E) Contractility