A nurse is assessing a patient who has heart failure. The patient ...

[sammy]

A nurse is assessing a patient who has heart failure. The patient complains of shortness of breath, and the nurse auscultates crackles in both lungs. The nurse understands that these symptoms are the result of:
 
  a. decreased force of ventricular contraction.
  b. increased force of ventricular contraction.
  c. decreased ventricular filling.
  d. increased ventricular filling.

Question 2

A nurse is teaching a group of nursing students about tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). Which statement by a student indicates a need for further teaching?
 
  a. TCAs block receptors for histamine, acetylcholine, and norepinephrine.
  b. TCAs block the uptake of norepinephrine and 5-HT.
  c. TCAs have many side effects, but none of them are serious.
  d. TCAs have other uses than for depres-sion.

[covalentbond]

Answer to Question 1

A
In the failing heart Starling's law breaks down, and the force of contraction no longer increases in proportion to the amount of ventricular filling. The result is the backup of blood into the lungs and the symptoms of shortness of breath and crackles caused by fluid. Increased ventricular con-traction would not result in a backup of blood into the lungs. Changes in ventricular filling are not the direct cause of this symptom.

Answer to Question 2

C
TCAs can adversely affect cardiac function, and these effects can be serious in patients with preexisting cardiac impairment. TCAs do block receptors for histamine, acetylcholine, and nore-pinephrine; they do block the uptake of norepinephrine and 5-HT; and they do have other uses besides depression.

[sammy]

Thanks

[covalentbond]

Welcome