A nurse is caring for a client in a critical care unit who is 4 hours post-operative coronary artery bypass surgery. The nurse performs the reassessment and suspects the client may be developing a pericardial effusion. What assessment findings would the nurse note in this case?
New systolic murmur
Diminished breath sounds
Diminished heart sounds
Increased blood pressure
The Correct Answer is C
A. A new systolic murmur is more indicative of valvular dysfunction or a septal defect rather than pericardial effusion.
B. Diminished breath sounds may be associated with atelectasis or pleural effusion but are not a hallmark finding of pericardial effusion.
C. Diminished heart sounds occur due to fluid accumulation in the pericardial sac, which muffles heart tones and is a key sign of pericardial effusion.
D. Increased blood pressure is not characteristic of pericardial effusion. Instead, pericardial effusion can lead to cardiac tamponade, which typically causes hypotension.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. While cardiac rehab does help recovery, this statement does not emphasize the safety and long-term benefits of supervised rehabilitation.
B. Providing education about the role of cardiac rehab is essential. Cardiac rehab monitors the client's progress and helps safely return them to an active lifestyle.
C. While this statement acknowledges the client's feelings, it does not provide enough information about the benefits of cardiac rehab.
D. This response is too authoritative and does not address the client’s concerns or autonomy.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. A prolonged PR interval can be seen in hyperkalemia but is not as characteristic as peaked T waves.
B. A U wave is typically seen in hypokalemia, not hyperkalemia.
C. Peaked T waves are a hallmark ECG finding in hyperkalemia and occur due to increased repolarization speed.
D. ST segment elevation is more commonly associated with myocardial infarction rather than hyperkalemia.
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