After undergoing a cardiac catheterization, a patient has a large puddle of blood under his buttocks.
What should be the nurse’s priority action?

Choice A rationale:

While an ICD can sometimes be used to treat bradycardia (an abnormally slow heart rate), this is not its primary function.

Pacemakers are more commonly used to manage bradycardia.

They work by continuously monitoring the heart's rhythm and delivering electrical impulses to the heart muscle when needed to maintain a normal heart rate.

Choice B rationale:

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of arrhythmia that causes the upper chambers of the heart (atria) to beat irregularly and rapidly.

ICDs are not typically used to treat AFib.

Instead, medications such as beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers are often used to control the heart rate and rhythm in patients with AFib. In some cases, a procedure called ablation may be used to destroy the areas of the heart that are causing the abnormal electrical signals.

Choice C rationale:

The primary purpose of an ICD is to detect and treat ventricular arrhythmias, which are potentially life-threatening rhythm disturbances that originate in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles).

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is a chaotic, rapid rhythm that prevents the heart from pumping blood effectively.

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a very fast heart rhythm that can also lead to cardiac arrest.

ICDs can deliver electrical shocks to the heart to restore a normal rhythm when these dangerous arrhythmias occur.

This can prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Choice D rationale:

While an ICD can deliver a shock to the heart in the event of a heart attack, this is not its primary purpose.

It's important to note that an ICD cannot prevent a heart attack from happening; it can only treat the life-threatening arrhythmias that may result from a heart attack.

Choice A rationale:

Tachycardia is a heart rate that is too fast. While pacemakers are typically thought of as devices used to treat slow heart rates, they can also be used in certain cases of tachycardia.

Some types of tachycardia, such as supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and atrial fibrillation (AFib), can be treated with a pacemaker.

In these cases, the pacemaker is programmed to deliver electrical impulses to the heart that help to regulate the heart rate and keep it from beating too quickly.

Choice B rationale:

A heart block is a condition in which the electrical signals that control the heartbeat are interrupted or slowed. This can cause the heart to beat too slowly or irregularly.

Pacemakers are often used to treat heart block by providing a regular electrical impulse to the heart, which helps to maintain a normal heart rate. Choice C rationale:

A heart defect is a structural abnormality of the heart that is present at birth. Although some heart defects may eventually lead to conditions that require a pacemaker, such as arrhythmias or heart failure, they do not inherently necessitate a pacemaker.

The need for a pacemaker in individuals with heart defects is determined by the specific type of defect and the individual's overall cardiac function.

Treatment for heart defects often involves surgery to repair the defect, medication to manage symptoms, or a combination of both, rather than the direct placement of a pacemaker.

Choice D rationale:

Bradycardia is a heart rate that is too slow. Pacemakers are the most common treatment for bradycardia. They work by sending electrical impulses to the heart to increase the heart rate.