ATI RN
100 Questions on the Cardiovascular System Questions
Question 1 of 5
Which pairing is valid for fetal circulation?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In fetal circulation, the ductus venosus shunts oxygenated blood from the umbilical vein (carrying blood from the placenta) to the inferior vena cava, bypassing the liver. The foramen ovale connects the right atrium to the left atrium (not ventricles or pulmonary trunk), and the ductus arteriosus connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta (not pulmonary vein).
Question 2 of 5
The innermost layer of an artery is composed of:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The innermost layer of arteries (tunica intima) is lined with endothelium, a simple squamous epithelium specialized for smooth blood flow and exchange.
Question 3 of 5
The parents of a newborn with a congenital heart disease ask the nurse what is meant by the diagnosis patent ductus arteriosus. The nurse's best explanation includes that this structure is a shunt between the:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ductus arteriosus is a shunt that allows blood to bypass the undeveloped lungs of the fetus by allowing blood to pass between the pulmonary trunk and the aorta (great vessels). This structure closes soon after birth and is replaced by the ligamentum arteriosum. The foramen ovale is the bypass that allows blood to pass through the atria. There is no shunt within the ventricles. (Source: Document, Pretest Answer 3, p. 76)
Question 4 of 5
A cardiovascular assessment on a client's chart notes 'S₁/S₂ audible.' The nurse knows that S₁ is produced by which valves?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: S₁ ('lub') is produced by the closure of the atrioventricular valves—tricuspid and mitral—at the start of ventricular systole. S₂ ('dub') is from the aortic and pulmonic valves. (Source: Document, p. 62, Valve sounds)
Question 5 of 5
For blood clotting to occur normally:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Vitamin K is essential for the liver to synthesize clotting factors (e.g., II, VII, IX, X). Heparin inactivation aids but isn’t required, vitamin C is unrelated, and tissue damage triggers extrinsic clotting but isn’t always necessary.