Nursing practice questions with comprehensive rationales
NurseDive Free Nursing Practice Question
The nurse recognizes that the rationale for the medical prescription of aspirin 81 mg PO daily and clopidogrel 75 mg PO daily for the client with coronary artery disease is that these medications:
A. Have analgesic properties without sedation
Having analgesic properties without sedation is not the rationale for prescribing aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery disease. Aspirin and clopidogrel are antiplatelet drugs that prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries that supply the heart. They do not have significant analgesic or sedative effects.
B. Can trigger vasodilation and improve blood flow
Triggering vasodilation and improving blood flow is not the rationale for prescribing aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery disease. Aspirin and clopidogrel do not directly cause vasodilation or increase blood flow. They work by reducing the stickiness of platelets and preventing them from clumping together and blocking the arteries.
C. Improve contractility and decrease afterload
Improving contractility and decreasing afterload is not the rationale for prescribing aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery disease. Aspirin and clopidogrel do not affect the contractility or the afterload of the heart. They act on the blood vessels and the blood cells, not on the heart muscle. Contractility and afterload are influenced by other drugs such as beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.
D. Inhibit platelet aggregation and clot formation
This is the correct answer. Inhibiting platelet aggregation and clot formation is the rationale for prescribing aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery disease. Aspirin and clopidogrel are antiplatelet drugs that interfere with the function of platelets, which are blood cells that help with clotting. By inhibiting platelet aggregation and clot formation, aspirin and clopidogrel reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with coronary artery disease.
This question is an excerpt from Nurse Dive's nursing test bank - Ati Med Surg Nursing 200 Proctored Exam. Take the full exam now
Full Explanation
Choice A reason: Having analgesic properties without sedation is not the rationale for prescribing aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery disease. Aspirin and clopidogrel are antiplatelet drugs that prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries that supply the heart. They do not have significant analgesic or sedative effects.
Choice B reason: Triggering vasodilation and improving blood flow is not the rationale for prescribing aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery disease. Aspirin and clopidogrel do not directly cause vasodilation or increase blood flow. They work by reducing the stickiness of platelets and preventing them from clumping together and blocking the arteries.
Choice C reason: Improving contractility and decreasing afterload is not the rationale for prescribing aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery disease. Aspirin and clopidogrel do not affect the contractility or the afterload of the heart. They act on the blood vessels and the blood cells, not on the heart muscle. Contractility and afterload are influenced by other drugs such as beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.
Choice D reason: This is the correct answer. Inhibiting platelet aggregation and clot formation is the rationale for prescribing aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery disease. Aspirin and clopidogrel are antiplatelet drugs that interfere with the function of platelets, which are blood cells that help with clotting. By inhibiting platelet aggregation and clot formation, aspirin and clopidogrel reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with coronary artery disease.
Similar Questions
A client who is mentally impaired is incontinent of stool. What is the nurse's best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown?
A. Place a pad under the buttocks
Placing a pad under the buttocks is not the best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown. A pad can absorb some of the moisture and protect the bed linen, but it can also trap heat and bacteria and cause irritation and infection of the skin.
B. Check the rectal area for soiling frequently
This is the best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown. Checking the rectal area for soiling frequently allows the nurse to remove any fecal matter and clean the skin as soon as possible. This reduces the exposure of the skin to moisture, acidity, and enzymes that can damage the skin integrity and cause inflammation and ulceration.
C. Wash the buttocks with strong soap and water
Washing the buttocks with strong soap and water is not the best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown. Strong soap can strip the natural oils and protective barrier of the skin and make it more vulnerable to injury and infection. The nurse should use mild soap and water or a pH-balanced cleanser and pat the skin dry gently.
D. Place the call bell in the client's reach
Placing the call bell in the client's reach is not the best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown. A mentally impaired client may not be able to use the call bell or communicate their needs effectively. The nurse should not rely on the client's ability to ask for help, but rather check on the client regularly and provide appropriate care.
Full Explanation
Choice A reason: Placing a pad under the buttocks is not the best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown. A pad can absorb some of the moisture and protect the bed linen, but it can also trap heat and bacteria and cause irritation and infection of the skin.
Choice B reason: This is the best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown. Checking the rectal area for soiling frequently allows the nurse to remove any fecal matter and clean the skin as soon as possible. This reduces the exposure of the skin to moisture, acidity, and enzymes that can damage the skin integrity and cause inflammation and ulceration.
Choice C reason: Washing the buttocks with strong soap and water is not the best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown. Strong soap can strip the natural oils and protective barrier of the skin and make it more vulnerable to injury and infection. The nurse should use mild soap and water or a pH-balanced cleanser and pat the skin dry gently.
Choice D reason: Placing the call bell in the client's reach is not the best intervention to help prevent skin breakdown. A mentally impaired client may not be able to use the call bell or communicate their needs effectively. The nurse should not rely on the client's ability to ask for help, but rather check on the client regularly and provide appropriate care.
The nurse is teaching a client with hypertension about the prescribed hydrochlorothiazide 10 mg PO daily. Which statement, made by the client, would indicate that the teaching has been effective? "I will:
A. Limit my intake of citrus juices
Limiting the intake of citrus juices is not related to the teaching about hydrochlorothiazide. Citrus juices are rich in vitamin C, which has no significant interaction with hydrochlorothiazide. The client does not need to avoid or limit citrus juices unless they have other medical conditions that require dietary restrictions.
B. Eat bananas daily to lower my potassium level
Eating bananas daily to lower the potassium level is a wrong statement. Bananas are high in potassium, which is a mineral that hydrochlorothiazide can deplete from the body. The client may need to increase their potassium intake or take a potassium supplement to prevent hypokalemia, a condition of low potassium level that can cause muscle weakness, cramps, and arrhythmias.
C. Take my pill each day in the morning
Taking the pill each day in the morning is the correct statement. Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic that increases the urine output and reduces the blood volume and pressure. The client should take the pill in the morning to avoid nocturia, which is frequent urination at night that can disrupt the sleep quality and increase the risk of falls.
D. Take my pill each day after dinner
Taking the pill each day after dinner is not the best statement. Hydrochlorothiazide can cause diuresis, which is increased urine production and excretion. Taking the pill after dinner can lead to nocturia, which is frequent urination at night that can interfere with the sleep cycle and cause fatigue and irritability. The client should take the pill in the morning to prevent nocturia and its complications.
Full Explanation
Choice A reason: Limiting the intake of citrus juices is not related to the teaching about hydrochlorothiazide. Citrus juices are rich in vitamin C, which has no significant interaction with hydrochlorothiazide. The client does not need to avoid or limit citrus juices unless they have other medical conditions that require dietary restrictions.
Choice B reason: Eating bananas daily to lower the potassium level is a wrong statement. Bananas are high in potassium, which is a mineral that hydrochlorothiazide can deplete from the body. The client may need to increase their potassium intake or take a potassium supplement to prevent hypokalemia, a condition of low potassium level that can cause muscle weakness, cramps, and arrhythmias.
Choice C reason: Taking the pill each day in the morning is the correct statement. Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic that increases the urine output and reduces the blood volume and pressure. The client should take the pill in the morning to avoid nocturia, which is frequent urination at night that can disrupt the sleep quality and increase the risk of falls.
Choice D reason: Taking the pill each day after dinner is not the best statement. Hydrochlorothiazide can cause diuresis, which is increased urine production and excretion. Taking the pill after dinner can lead to nocturia, which is frequent urination at night that can interfere with the sleep cycle and cause fatigue and irritability. The client should take the pill in the morning to prevent nocturia and its complications.
The nurse administers atenolol 50 mg PO bid to a client who has coronary artery disease. The nurse understands that the therapeutic effect of this medication for this client is to:
A. Decrease the incidence of tachycardia
Decreasing the incidence of tachycardia is not the main therapeutic effect of atenolol for coronary artery disease. Atenolol is a beta-blocker that lowers the heart rate, but this is not the primary goal of therapy for coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is caused by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque in the arteries that supply the heart. This reduces the blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle and causes angina, or chest pain.
B. Dilate the coronary arteries
Dilating the coronary arteries is not the therapeutic effect of atenolol for coronary artery disease. Atenolol does not directly affect the diameter of the coronary arteries. It works by blocking the beta receptors in the heart and reducing the response to adrenaline and other stress hormones. This lowers the blood pressure and the oxygen demand of the heart.
C. Decrease cardiac workload
This is the correct answer. Decreasing cardiac workload is the therapeutic effect of atenolol for coronary artery disease. Atenolol reduces the contractility and the excitability of the heart muscle, which lowers the force and the frequency of the heartbeats. This decreases the amount of work that the heart has to do and the amount of oxygen that it needs. This helps prevent or relieve anginal attacks and improve the quality of life of the client.
D. Increase the strength of myocardial contraction
Increasing the strength of myocardial contraction is not the therapeutic effect of atenolol for coronary artery disease. Atenolol does not increase the strength of myocardial contraction, but rather decreases it. Increasing the strength of myocardial contraction would increase the oxygen demand of the heart and worsen the angina. Atenolol aims to reduce the oxygen demand of the heart and improve the blood supply to the heart.
Full Explanation
Choice A reason: Decreasing the incidence of tachycardia is not the main therapeutic effect of atenolol for coronary artery disease. Atenolol is a beta-blocker that lowers the heart rate, but this is not the primary goal of therapy for coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is caused by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque in the arteries that supply the heart. This reduces the blood flow and oxygen to the heart muscle and causes angina, or chest pain.
Choice B reason: Dilating the coronary arteries is not the therapeutic effect of atenolol for coronary artery disease. Atenolol does not directly affect the diameter of the coronary arteries. It works by blocking the beta receptors in the heart and reducing the response to adrenaline and other stress hormones. This lowers the blood pressure and the oxygen demand of the heart.
Choice C reason: This is the correct answer. Decreasing cardiac workload is the therapeutic effect of atenolol for coronary artery disease. Atenolol reduces the contractility and the excitability of the heart muscle, which lowers the force and the frequency of the heartbeats. This decreases the amount of work that the heart has to do and the amount of oxygen that it needs. This helps prevent or relieve anginal attacks and improve the quality of life of the client.
Choice D reason: Increasing the strength of myocardial contraction is not the therapeutic effect of atenolol for coronary artery disease. Atenolol does not increase the strength of myocardial contraction, but rather decreases it. Increasing the strength of myocardial contraction would increase the oxygen demand of the heart and worsen the angina. Atenolol aims to reduce the oxygen demand of the heart and improve the blood supply to the heart.