ATI LPN
Timby's Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing Thirteenth, North American Edition
Chapter 26 : Caring for Clients With Cardiac Arrhythmias Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nursing student is taking a pre-nursing pharmacology class. Today, the nursing student is learning about antiarrhythmic drugs. What drug is a potassium channel blocker?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Potassium channel blockers include amiodarone and bretylium tosylate. Lidocaine and flecainide are sodium channel blockers. Isoproterenol is a beta-blocker.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client with atrial fibrillation. What procedure would be recommended if drug therapies did not control the arrhythmia?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Atrial fibrillation is treated with elective cardioversion or digitalis if the ventricular rate is not too slow. Defibrillation is used for a ventricular problem. Maze procedures are used for clients who are not candidates for cardio diversion; these procedures use scar-forming techniques to eliminate rapid firing of ectopic pacemaker sites, thus restoring the normal conduction pathways in the atria. A Maze procedure might be considered for this client only after determining ineligibility for cardiodiversion. Pacemakers are implanted for bradycardia.
Question 3 of 5
Elective cardioversion is similar to defibrillation except that the electrical stimulation waits to discharge until an R wave appears. What does this prevent?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: It is similar to defibrillation. One difference is that the machine that delivers the electrical stimulation waits to discharge until it senses the appearance of an R wave. By doing so, the machine prevents disrupting the heart during the critical period of ventricular repolarization.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse enters the client's room and finds the client pulseless and unresponsive. What would be the treatment of choice for this client?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Defibrillation is used during pulseless ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.
Question 5 of 5
The client has returned to the floor with a transthoracic pacemaker ready to be connected. The nurse knows that a transthoracic pacemaker is a temporary pacemaker used in what situation?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The leads of a transthoracic pacemaker are inserted during open heart surgery. They extend from the chest incision. If the client requires cardiac pacing during postoperative recovery, the leads are connected to a temporary pacing unit.