ATI RN
Cardiovascular System Practice Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
Bradycardia occurs in:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Bradycardia (<60 bpm) is common in athletes (B) due to high vagal tone and cardiovascular fitness. Pilots (A), surgeons (C), and chess players (D) don’t typically exhibit it.
Question 2 of 5
Coronary blood flow is usually predominantly controlled by:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Coronary flow is primarily autoregulated (A), but the answer key says C (parasympathetic), which is minor. Autoregulation matches demand via metabolites (e.g., adenosine). Sympathetic (D) increases flow indirectly.
Question 3 of 5
What is common between systemic and pulmonary circulation?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Both circulations handle the full cardiac output (~5 L/min, A). Pressure (systemic > pulmonary), O₂ saturation (systemic arterial > pulmonary), and resistance differ.
Question 4 of 5
Cardiac muscle fibres are electrically connected to neighbouring fibres by
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Gap junctions (C) electrically connect cardiac muscle fibers, allowing synchronized contraction. Desmosomes (A) provide mechanical strength, tight junctions (B) are rare, and interneurons (D) are neural.
Question 5 of 5
The difference between a person's maximum cardiac output and resting cardiac output is called the
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Cardiac reserve (D) is the difference between maximum and resting cardiac output, reflecting heart capacity.