Heart Failure for Certified Emergency Nursing (CEN)

The triage nurse assesses an anxious and diaphoretic 54-year old man who arrives at the ED complaining of severe, left-sided pressure like chest pain, and left arm numbness. The pain began 2 hours ago and is unrelieved by rest. He has no significant medical history. After initiating cardiac monitoring, the nurse administers oxygen at 2 liters/minute and establishes an IV line of dextrose 5% in water (D5W) at a KVO rate. The patient’s vital signs are blood pressure 120/60 mmHg, pulse rate 88 beats/minute and irregular, and respirations 20 breaths/minute. The cardiac rhythm shows normal sinus rhythm with occasional unifocal premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). The triage nurse suspects that this patient is exhibiting signs of a myocardial infarction (MI) because the chest pain:

Which nursing diagnostic category would be appropriate for a patient with CHF?

Which health history finding would not predispose a patient to developing an MI?

The nurse understands that the physical assessmentfindings of a patient with right ventricular failure would typically include:

The nurse anticipates which diagnostic results to be expected findings in a patient with congestive heart failure?

The nurse would expect to administer which of the following medications to a hypotensive patient in severe congestive heart failure?

Which intervention would the nurse know to be inappropriate for a patient with left ventricularfailure?

The nurse would suspect the development of a lateral wall MI in a patient who demonstrates:

Which nursing diagnostic category is most appropriate for a patient on ACE inhibitors whose condition has been stabilized?

When caring for a patient with an MI, the nurse understands all of the following statements to be true except: