A patient has a myocardial infarction. On which primary blood ...

[DelorasTo]

A patient has a myocardial infarction. On which primary blood vessel will the nurse focus care to reduce ischemia?
 
  a. Superior vena cava
  b. Pulmonary artery
  c. Coronary artery
  d. Carotid artery

Question 2

While performing an assessment, the nurse hears crackles in the patient's lung fields. The nurse also learns that the patient is sleeping on three pillows to help with the difficulty breathing during the night.
 
  Which condition will the nurse most likely observe written in the patient's medical record?
  a. Atrial fibrillation
  b. Myocardial ischemia
  c. Left-sided heart failure
  d. Right-sided heart failure

[cswans24]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
A myocardial infarction is the lack of blood flow due to obstruction to the coronary artery, which supplies the heart with blood. The superior vena cava returns blood back to the heart. The pulmonary artery supplies deoxygenated blood to the lungs. The carotid artery supplies blood to the brain.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
Left-sided heart failure results in pulmonary congestion, the signs and symptoms of which include shortness of breath, cough, crackles, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (difficulty breathing when lying flat). Right-sided heart failure is systemic and results in peripheral edema, weight gain, and distended neck veins. Atrial fibrillation is often described as an irregularly irregular rhythm; rhythm is irregular because of the multiple pacemaker sites. Myocardial ischemia results when the supply of blood to the myocardium from the coronary arteries is insufficient to meet myocardial oxygen demands, producing angina or myocardial infarction.

[DelorasTo]

Thank you!

[cswans24]

Always glad to help...