Chapter 18: Drug Therapy for Dysrhythmias

Chapter 18: Drug Therapy for Dysrhythmias

 

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

 

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

BASIC CONCEPTS

 

1. What does the term “asystole” mean?

a.	Absence of electrical activity in the heart
b.	The ability of the heart to fire an impulse on its own
c.	Full heart contraction that occurs earlier than it should
d.	The normal rhythm of the heart as measured by an electrocardiogram

 

 

ANS:  A

Asystole is the absence of electrical or contraction activity within the heart. It appears on the electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor as a straight line or “flatline.”

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Remembering        REF:   p. 297

 

2. Which part of the heart normally controls the heart rate?

a.	Atrioventricular (AV) node
b.	His-Purkinje system
c.	Sinoatrial (SA) node
d.	Left ventricle

 

 

ANS:  C

The normal pacemaker of the heart is the SA node, which initiates 60 to 100 electrical impulses to the heart per minute.

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Remembering        REF:   p. 292

 

3. Which person is likely to have the lowest resting heart rate?

a.	Newborn infant
b.	Exercising child
c.	Young adult athlete
d.	Older adult female

 

 

ANS:  C

Heart rate is related to a person’s state of health and whether he or she is exercising or resting. For example, a young athlete may have a normal resting heart rate of 50 beats/min with an exercising heart rate of 100, whereas an older adult may have a resting heart rate of 80 or 90 beats/min and an exercising heart rate of 120 to 140. Newborns and children generally have faster resting heart rates.

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Remembering        REF:   p. 292

 

4. Why must most cardiac dysrhythmias be treated?

a.	They increase preload.
b.	They decrease preload.
c.	They increase cardiac output.
d.	They decrease cardiac output.

 

 

ANS:  D

Most dysrhythmias have a negative effect on how well the heart works as a pump by decreasing cardiac output (the amount of blood the heart pumps in a minute). Dysrhythmias decrease cardiac output, which leads to symptoms such as dizziness, light-headedness, fainting (syncope), and decreased peripheral pulses.

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Remembering        REF:   p. 293

 

5. What cardiac dysrhythmia can be helped or corrected by the drug atropine?

a.	Tachycardia
b.	Bradycardia
c.	Premature atrial contractions
d.	Premature ventricular contractions

 

 

ANS:  B

Atropine is a competitive muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist used to treat abnormally slow heart rhythms known as bradydysrhythmias (bradycardia). The vagus nerve slows heart rate, and atropine blocks the actions of the vagus nerve on the heart. This drug is used for patients who have symptomatic bradycardia.

 

DIF:    Cognitive Level: Remembering        REF:   p. 296