A client comes to the emergency department with complaints of chest pain after using cocaine. The nurse assesses the client and obtains vital signs with results as follows: blood pressure 140/92, heart rate 128, respiratory rate 26, and an oxygen saturation of 98%. What rhythm on the monitor does the nurse anticipate viewing?
Sinus bradycardia
Ventricular tachycardia
Normal sinus rhythm
Sinus tachycardia
The Correct Answer is D
A. Sinus bradycardia is characterized by a heart rate below 60 beats/min, which is inconsistent with this client’s elevated heart rate of 128.
B. Ventricular tachycardia is a potentially life-threatening rhythm with wide QRS complexes, usually not the immediate expected rhythm without other signs such as hypotension or loss of consciousness.
C. Normal sinus rhythm has a heart rate between 60–100 beats/min; this client’s rate of 128 exceeds that range.
D. Sinus tachycardia is the most likely rhythm, especially in a client who has used cocaine, a stimulant known to increase sympathetic nervous system activity, leading to increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Sick sinus syndrome – This involves an abnormal SA node function, often with varying rhythm disturbances (e.g., sinus pauses, bradycardia-tachycardia). The strip described is regular and does not reflect these changes.
B. Normal sinus rhythm – The rhythm is regular, the PR interval is within normal limits (0.12–0.20 seconds), the heart rate is 60 beats/min (within the normal range of 60–100), and P waves precede each QRS complex consistently.
C. Sinus bradycardia – Although the rate is 60, which is at the low end of normal, it is not below 60. Bradycardia is defined as <60 bpm.
D. First-degree heart block – First-degree AV block is characterized by a prolonged PR interval >0.20 seconds. The PR interval here is 0.16 seconds, which is normal.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. Platelets are administered to treat or prevent bleeding due to thrombocytopenia or platelet dysfunction, not primarily for volume loss.
B. Albumin is a plasma volume expander and may be used in hypovolemia, but it does not replace oxygen-carrying capacity like RBCs do.
C. Cryoprecipitates are rich in clotting factors (e.g., fibrinogen, factor VIII) and are used for coagulopathies, not as a primary treatment for hypovolemic shock.
D. Packed RBCs are the appropriate choice in hypovolemic shock, especially when blood loss has occurred, as they restore oxygen-carrying capacity and circulating blood volume.
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