ATI RN
Cardiovascular System Test Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
The client has a diagnosis of pericarditis. The nurse knows that the client's infection is located in the:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, the membrane surrounding the heart. The myocardium is the muscle layer, the endocardium is the inner lining, and the mediastinum is the thoracic region, not a heart layer. (Source: Document, p. 62, Pericardial membrane)
Question 2 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 3 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 4 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)
Question 5 of 5
Which of the following events is the first to take place in a cardiac cycle?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The cardiac cycle begins with SA node depolarization (A), initiating the impulse that spreads across the atria (P wave, C), reaches the AV node (B), and then ventricles (QRS, D). SA node firing is the first event.