FON: Circulation & Oxygenation

The nurse is suctioning a patient with a tracheostomy tube. Which action will the nurse take?

• Set suction regulator at 150 to 200 mm Hg.
• Limit the length of suctioning to 10 seconds.
• Apply suction while gently rotating and inserting the catheter.
• Liberally lubricate the end of the suction catheter with a water-soluble solution.

The nurse is caring for a patient with respiratory problems. Which assessment finding indicates a late sign of hypoxia?

• Elevated blood pressure
• Increased pulse rate
• Restlessness
• Cyanosis

A nurse is caring for a patient with left-sided hemiparesis who has developed bronchitis and has a heart rate of 105 beats/min, blood pressure of 156/90 mm Hg, and respiration rate of 30 breaths/min. Which nursing diagnosis is a priority?

• Risk for skin breakdown
• Impaired gas exchange
• Activity intolerance
• Risk for infection

The nurse suspects the patient has increased afterload. Which piece of equipment should the nurse obtain to determine the presence of this condition?

• Pulse oximeter
• Oxygen cannula
• Blood pressure cuff
• Yankauer suction tip catheter

The nurse needs to closely monitor the oxygen status of an older-adult patient undergoing anesthesia because of which age-related change?

• Thinner heart valves cause lipid accumulation and fibrosis.
• Diminished respiratory muscle strength may cause poor chest expansion.
• Alterations in mental status prevent patients’ awareness of ineffective breathing.
• An increased number of pacemaker cells make proper anesthesia induction more difficult.

A patient has inadequate stroke volume related to decreased preload. Which treatment does the nurse prepare to administer?

• Diuretics
• Vasodilators
• Chest physiotherapy
• Intravenous (IV) fluids

A patient’s heart rate increased from 94 to 164 beats/min. What will the nurse expect?

• Increase in diastolic filling time
• Decrease in hemoglobin level
• Decrease in cardiac output
• Increase in stroke volume

While performing an assessment, the nurse hears crackles in the patient’s lung fields. The nurse also learns that the patient is sleeping on three pillows to help with the difficulty breathing during the night. Which condition will the nurse most likely observe written in the patient’s medical record?

• Atrial fibrillation
• Myocardial ischemia
• Left-sided heart failure
• Right-sided heart failure

A patient has heart failure and cardiac output is decreased. Which formula can the nurse use to calculate cardiac output?

• Myocardial contractility × Myocardial blood flow
• Ventricular filling time/Diastolic filling time
• Stroke volume × Heart rate
• Preload/Afterload

A nurse is teaching a health class about the heart. Which information from the class members indicates teaching by the nurse is successful for the flow of blood through the heart, starting in the right atrium?

• Right ventricle, left ventricle, left atrium
• Left atrium, right ventricle, left ventricle
• Right ventricle, left atrium, left ventricle
• Left atrium, left ventricle, right ventricle