Med-surg: cardiovascular & respiratory worksheet with answers

Which drug is commonly used to slow the heart rate in atrial fibrillation?

1. AFurosemide (a loop diuretic)
2. BBisoprolol (a beta-blocker)
3. CAtorvastatin (a statin)
4. DAmlodipine (a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker)

Where are AED pads usually placed on an adult?

1. ABelow the right collarbone and on the left side below the armpit
2. BBoth pads on the abdomen, just below the ribs on either side
3. COn each upper arm
4. DBoth pads on the back, side by side between the shoulder blades

When is the best time to weigh a patient with heart failure each day?

1. AEach morning after voiding, before breakfast, on the same scale
2. BWhenever the patient reports more breathlessness
3. CEach evening after the main meal, wearing the same day clothes
4. DOnce a week, on whichever ward scale happens to be free that day

According to current guidance, when should oxygen be given to a patient with an acute coronary syndrome?

1. AOnly when SpO₂ is below the target range
2. BOnly once the troponin result is available
3. CAlways at 15 L/min, whatever the saturation
4. DNever, because oxygen harms heart muscle

Which combination of drug classes improves survival in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction?

1. ALoop diuretic, digoxin, nitrate and a calcium channel blocker
2. BAn NSAID, aspirin, a statin and a thiazide diuretic
3. CA loop diuretic alone at the highest tolerated dose
4. DACE inhibitor or ARNI, beta-blocker, MRA and SGLT2 inhibitor

Where is the V1 electrode placed for a 12-lead ECG?

1. AOver the left nipple
2. BJust below the left collarbone
3. CThe fifth intercostal space in the mid-axillary line
4. DThe fourth intercostal space just right of the sternum

Shortly after a thoracentesis, a patient becomes breathless with sharp chest pain and reduced breath sounds on the same side. What complication is most likely?

1. APulmonary embolism from the leg
2. BRe-accumulation of the effusion
3. CPneumothorax
4. DInfection at the puncture site

A patient with a mechanical mitral valve replacement on warfarin has an INR of 2.2. What should the nurse consider?

1. AThe INR should be about 1.0 for mechanical valves
2. BThe INR is in range for every warfarin indication, so no action is needed
3. CThe INR may be below this patient's higher target, so check it and report
4. DThe INR is dangerously high and the dose must be withheld