You are providing care to a patient with pericarditis.

Which of the following is NOT a proper nursing intervention for this patient?

Administer Ibuprofen as scheduled.

Monitor the patient for complications of cardiac tamponade.

Place the patient in a supine position to relieve pain.

Monitor the patient for pulsus paradoxus and muffled heart sounds.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

Choice A rationale
Administering Ibuprofen as scheduled is a proper nursing intervention for a patient with pericarditis. Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Choice B rationale
Monitoring the patient for complications of cardiac tamponade is a proper nursing intervention for a patient with pericarditis. Cardiac tamponade is a serious condition that can occur as a complication of pericarditis.
Choice C rationale
Placing the patient in a supine position to relieve pain is not a proper nursing intervention for a patient with pericarditis. This position could actually increase the patient’s discomfort.
Instead, the patient should be positioned upright and leaning forward to help relieve pain.
Choice D rationale
Monitoring the patient for pulsus paradoxus and muffled heart sounds is a proper nursing intervention for a patient with pericarditis. These are potential signs of worsening pericarditis or complications such as cardiac tamponade.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Choice A rationale
Pulsus paradoxus, an exaggerated decrease in systolic blood pressure during inspiration, can be a sign of several conditions, including pericardial tamponade, constrictive pericarditis, and restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Choice B rationale
Exudate, a fluid with a high protein content that leaks out of blood vessels due to inflammation, is not typically associated with the symptoms described.
Choice C rationale
An aneurysm, a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel, could potentially cause the symptoms described, but it is not the most concerning finding given the symptoms of edema, hepatomegaly, and muffled heart sounds.
Choice D rationale
Tamponade, a serious condition in which fluid or blood fills the pericardial sac, compressing the heart and preventing it from pumping effectively, could cause the symptoms described and would be the most concerning finding.

A. It increases the contractile force of the heart. B. It reduces heart palpitations. C. It decreases coronary artery spasms. D. It prevents the formation of plaque in the coronary arteries.

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A rationale
Diltiazem does not increase the contractile force of the heart. In fact, it is classified as a negative inotrope, meaning it decreases the force of heart contractions.
Choice B rationale
While diltiazem can affect heart rhythm, it does not specifically reduce heart palpitations. Its primary effect is to slow the heart rate and relax the blood vessels.
Choice C rationale
Diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker used to manage cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, chronic stable angina, atrial fibrillation, and Prinzmetal’s angina. It works by inhibiting the calcium influx into cardiac and vascular smooth muscle during depolarization. This results in vasodilation, or the widening of blood vessels, which can help decrease coronary artery spasms, a characteristic feature of Prinzmetal’s angina.
Choice D rationale
Diltiazem does not prevent the formation of plaque in the coronary arteries. It primarily acts to relax the blood vessels and slow the heart rate.

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You are providing care to a patient with pericarditis. Which of the following is NOT a proper nursing intervention for this patient?

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

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You are providing care to a patient with pericarditis.

Which of the following is NOT a proper nursing intervention for this patient?