A client has a heart rate of 170 beats per minute. For what will ...

[gonzo233]

A client has a heart rate of 170 beats per minute. For what will the nurse assess next in this client?
 
  1. Increased cardiac output
  2. Increased preload
  3. Decreased afterload
  4. Decreased cardiac output

Question 2

The client has complaints of being tired, listless, and unable to tolerate activity at usual levels. Which laboratory value would the nurse review first while assessing this complaint?
 
  1. Blood urea nitrogen
  2. Hemoglobin and hematocrit
  3. Blood sugar
  4. Serum potassium

[duy1981999]

Answer to Question 1

Correct Answer: 4
Rationale 1: Cardiac output equals stroke volume heart rate. Since this client has a sustained rapid heart rate, the ventricles are most likely not having sufficient time to relax and refill between contractions, so the stroke volume will decrease.
Rationale 2: Preload refers to the degree to which muscle fibers in the ventricle are stretched at the end of the relaxation period.
Rationale 3: Afterload is reflective of systemic vascular resistance.
Rationale 4: Cardiac output equals stroke volume heart rate. Since this client has a sustained rapid heart rate, the ventricles are most likely not having sufficient time to relax and refill between contractions, so the stroke volume will decrease. At the rate of 170, the compensatory increase in heart rate is no longer helpful in increasing cardiac output. This leads to a decrease in cardiac output.

Answer to Question 2

Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: The client's symptoms may or may not be associated with the blood urea nitrogen level.
Rationale 2: Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying portion of the blood, and anemia (decrease in hemoglobin and hematocrit) is often associated with client complaint of being tired, listless, and unable to tolerate normal activities.
Rationale 3: These symptoms may or may not be seen in a client with an alteration in the blood sugar level.
Rationale 4: These symptoms may or may not be seen in a client with an altered serum potassium level.