A 31-year-old woman with a congenital heart defect reports ...

[fagboi]

A 31-year-old woman with a congenital heart defect reports episodes of light-headedness and syncope, with occasional palpitations.
 
  A resting electrocardiogram reveals sinus bradycardia, and she is suspected to have sick sinus syndrome. Which of the following diagnostic methods is the best choice to investigate the suspicion?
  A)
  Signal-averaged ECG
  B)
  Exercise stress testing
  C)
  Electrophysiologic study
  D)
  Holter monitoring

Question 2

The physician mentions the patient has developed alveolar dead space. The nurse recognizes that this means
 
  A)
  air that is moved in and out of the lungs with each breath.
  B)
  air that cannot participate in gas exchange and remains in the main bronchus.
  C)
  air is trapped in the conducting airways.
  D)
  alveoli are ventilated but not perfused.

[ally]

Answer to Question 1

Ans:
D

Feedback:

Because sick sinus syndrome frequently involves intermittent or alternating types of arrhythmias, Holter monitoring, which can record changes in rhythm that occur over a period of up to 48 hours, is likely to provide the best picture of the spectrum of cardiac changes in any particular client. Signal-averaged ECG is most useful for identifying specific arrhythmias that may not be clear on traditional surface ECG. Exercise stress testing measures changes in rhythm specifically in response to exercise. Electrophysiologic studies are used diagnostically to determine a person's potential for arrhythmia formation.

Answer to Question 2

Ans:
D

Feedback:

Alveolar dead space results from alveoli that are ventilated but not perfused.