A patient is admitted to your telemetry unit with chest pain that has been increasing in intensity and duration. The critical care nurse can identify that this type of angina is called

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Unstable angina. This type of angina is characterized by chest pain that is increasing in intensity and duration, indicating a higher risk of a heart attack. Unstable angina is considered a medical emergency requiring immediate attention. A: Stable angina refers to chest pain that occurs with exertion and resolves with rest. B: Variant angina, also known as Prinzmetal's angina, is caused by coronary artery spasm and often occurs at rest. C: Predictable angina refers to chest pain that occurs predictably with certain activities or triggers and is relieved with rest or medication. In summary, D is the correct answer because the patient's symptoms of increasing chest pain intensity and duration suggest unstable angina, which requires urgent medical intervention.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Reducing afterload. ACE inhibitors reduce afterload by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, leading to vasodilation and decreased peripheral resistance. This results in reduced workload on the heart, improved cardiac output, and overall improvement in heart failure symptoms. Option A is incorrect as ACE inhibitors do not increase preload. Option B is incorrect as ACE inhibitors cause vasodilation, not vasoconstriction. Option C is incorrect as ACE inhibitors actually reduce afterload, rather than increasing it.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Rationale: 1. Dobutamine is a beta-1 adrenergic agonist, leading to increased heart rate (tachycardia). 2. Bradycardia and heart failure are not common adverse effects of dobutamine. 3. Respiratory distress is not a typical adverse effect of dobutamine. 4. Therefore, choice C (Tachycardia) is the correct answer as it aligns with dobutamine's pharmacological effects.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: They decrease the velocity of electrical activity on the AV node. Calcium channel blockers specifically target calcium channels in the heart muscle, which slows down the influx of calcium ions responsible for electrical conduction in the heart. By reducing the velocity of electrical activity on the AV node, calcium channel blockers help to decrease heart rate and improve myocardial oxygen supply. Incorrect choices: A: They increase the preload on the heart - This is incorrect because calcium channel blockers do not directly affect preload, which is the volume of blood in the heart at the end of diastole. C: They block the sodium channels in the heart muscle - This is incorrect because calcium channel blockers do not target sodium channels; they specifically inhibit calcium channels. D: They cause vasoconstriction of coronary arteries - This is incorrect because calcium channel blockers actually have a vasodilatory effect on coronary arteries, which can help improve blood flow to the heart muscle.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Adenosine. Adenosine is the drug of choice for treating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) due to its ability to rapidly terminate the arrhythmia by blocking the AV node temporarily. It works by slowing down the conduction of electrical impulses in the heart. Flecainide (A) and Lidocaine (B) are antiarrhythmic drugs used for ventricular arrhythmias, not PSVT. Metoprolol (C) is a beta-blocker that can be used for long-term management of PSVT but is not the first-line choice for acute treatment.