Exam 19: Heart and Neck Vessels

The nurse is assessing a patient's apical impulse.Which of these statements is true regarding the apical impulse?

In assessing a 70-year-old man,the nurse finds the following: blood pressure 140/100 mm Hg;heart rate 104 and slightly irregular;split S₂.Which of these findings can be explained by expected hemodynamic changes related to age?

During a cardiovascular assessment,the nurse knows that an S₄ heart sound is:

The nurse is assessing a patient's pulses and notices a difference between the patient's apical pulse and radial pulse.The apical pulse was 118 beats per minute,and the radial pulse was 105 beats per minute.What is the pulse deficit?

While counting the apical pulse on a 16-year-old patient,the nurse notices an irregular rhythm.His rate speeds up on inspiration and slows on expiration.What would be the nurse's response?

Which of these findings would the nurse expect to notice during a cardiac assessment on a 4-year-old child?

While auscultating heart sounds on a 7-year-old child for a routine physical,the nurse hears an S₃,a soft murmur at left midsternal border,and a venous hum when the child is standing.Which of these would be a correct interpretation of these findings?

The mother of a 3-month-old infant states that her baby has not been gaining weight.With further questioning,the nurse finds that the infant falls asleep after nursing and wakes up after a short amount of time,hungry again.What other information would the nurse want to have?

Which of these statements describes the closure of the valves in a normal cardiac cycle?

The nurse is examining a patient who has possible cardiac enlargement.Which statement about percussion of the heart is true?

During the cardiac auscultation the nurse hears a sound occurring immediately after S₂ at the second left intercostal space.To further assess this sound,what should the nurse do?

During a cardiovascular assessment,the nurse knows that a "thrill" is:

A 70-year-old patient with a history of hypertension has a blood pressure of 180/100 mm Hg and a heart rate of 90 beats per minute.The nurse hears an extra heart sound at the apex immediately before S₁.The sound is heard only with the bell while the patient is in the left lateral position.With these findings and the patient's history,the nurse knows that this extra heart sound is most likely a(n):

A 45-year-old man is in the clinic for a routine physical.During the history the patient states he's been having difficulty sleeping."I'll be sleeping great and then I wake up and feel like I can't get my breath." The nurse's best response to this would be:

When the nurse is auscultating the carotid artery for bruits,which of these statements reflects correct technique?

During an assessment,the nurse notes that the patient's apical impulse is displaced laterally,and it is palpable over a wide area.This indicates:

The nurse is assessing a patient with possible cardiomyopathy and assesses the hepatojugular reflux.If heart failure is present,then the nurse should see which finding while pushing on the right upper quadrant of the patient's abdomen,just below the rib cage?

In assessing the carotid arteries of an older patient with cardiovascular disease,the nurse would:

The electrical stimulus of the cardiac cycle follows which sequence?

The findings from an assessment of a 70-year-old patient with swelling in his ankles include jugular venous pulsations 5 cm above the sternal angle when the head of his bed is elevated 45 degrees.The nurse knows that this finding indicates: