A 42-year-old is diagnosed with constrictive pericarditis. The nurse assesses the blood pressure for decreased cardiac output because of:
a. pericardial effusions.
b. fibrosis and calcification of the pericardial layers.
c. cardiomyopathy.
d. hemorrhage in the pericardial cavity.
ANS: B
In constrictive pericarditis, fibrous scarring compresses the heart and eventually reduces cardiac output. Pericardial effusion is manifested by chest pain. Cardiomyopathy is a general term for pathophysiological changes in the heart. Hemorrhage in the pericardial cavity will lead to tam-ponade.
You might also like to view...
The EMT shows that she understands the danger posed by status epilepticus when she states:
A) "Status epilepticus is an extremely dangerous condition because the patient can go into shock from blood loss." B) "If the patient does not have a history of seizures, he is at greater risk for status epilepticus." C) "The longer the seizure continues, the greater the opportunity for permanent brain damage." D) "Status epilepticus indicates that the medications a patient is taking have reached toxic levels in the body."
There are two reasons why a handler should wear latex gloves when handling an amphibian: