ATI RN
Cardiovascular System Test Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
If hydrostatic pressure in the arteriole end of a capillary is 36.6 mmHg and if osmotic pressure of the blood is 28 mmHg, then the net movement of water and dissolved substances is:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Net filtration pressure = hydrostatic pressure (36.6 mmHg) - osmotic pressure (28 mmHg) = 8.6 mmHg outward. At the arteriolar end, this positive pressure pushes fluid out into the interstitial space.
Question 2 of 5
Which of the following would most likely confirm a diagnosis of appendicitis?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Appendicitis, an acute bacterial infection, typically causes neutrophilia (increased neutrophils, >70%), reflecting the body’s response to inflammation. Monocytes rise in chronic conditions, erythrocytes are unrelated, and leukopenia (low WBCs) contradicts infection.
Question 3 of 5
The percent volume of whole blood occupied by packed red cells is referred to as the:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Hematocrit is the percentage of blood volume occupied by packed RBCs (normal: 38-50%). Formed elements include all cells, and sedimentation index relates to ESR, not volume.
Question 4 of 5
The reason for the dicrotic notch on the aortic pressure curve is
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The dicrotic notch is a small dip in the aortic pressure curve caused by the closure of the aortic valve at the end of systole, as blood briefly rebounds against it. Aortic contraction doesn’t occur, ventricular filling is diastolic, and pulmonary valve closure affects pulmonary pressure, not aortic.
Question 5 of 5
A nurse is working on a team responding to cardiac arrest in the hospital. Because the client's heart stopped, his body has gone into a state of acidosis. Which of the following medications would most likely correct metabolic acidosis that occurs during cardiac arrest?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Sodium bicarbonate (C) corrects metabolic acidosis during cardiac arrest by buffering excess acid (low pH) from anaerobic metabolism. Lidocaine and procainamide (A, B) treat arrhythmias, and dobutamine (D) supports heart failure, not acidosis. (Source: Document, p. 9-10)