When auscultating the breath sounds of a client with pericarditis, the nurse would expect to find which of the following?
Friction rub
Wheezes
Rales
Rhonchi
The Correct Answer is A
A. A friction rub is the characteristic auscultatory finding in pericarditis. It is a high-pitched, scratchy sound heard best at the left lower sternal border and is caused by the inflamed pericardial layers rubbing against each other.
B. Wheezes are continuous, musical sounds usually associated with airway narrowing, such as in asthma or COPD.
C. Rales (crackles) are heard in conditions like pulmonary edema or pneumonia, not pericarditis.
D. Rhonchi are low-pitched, snoring sounds associated with mucus or obstruction in the larger airways.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Fluids are usually encouraged to help flush out contrast dye, so restricting fluid intake is not appropriate.
B. Performing neurovascular checks along with vital signs is essential to monitor for complications such as bleeding, hematoma, or impaired circulation after femoral artery access.
C. Range-of-motion exercises on the affected leg may increase the risk of bleeding or hematoma and are generally avoided initially.
D. Early ambulation (such as within 1 hour) is usually contraindicated; clients are typically kept on bed rest for several hours to prevent bleeding at the catheter site.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Heart failure often presents with dyspnea, crackles (from pulmonary congestion), jugular vein distention, dependent edema, and hepatomegaly due to fluid overload and impaired cardiac output—these are classic signs.
B. Pulmonary embolism typically causes sudden dyspnea, chest pain, and tachypnea but not hepatomegaly or dependent edema.
C. Tension pneumothorax presents with tracheal deviation, absent breath sounds on one side, and hypotension—different from the systemic fluid overload signs described.
D. Cardiac tamponade presents with muffled heart sounds, hypotension, and jugular vein distention (Beck's triad), but it does not cause crackles, hepatomegaly, or peripheral edema.
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