The nurse suspects a pulse deficit in a patient with an irregular heartbeat. Which assessment provides the most accurate information?
Correct answer: A. Count the apical and radial pulses simultaneously for one full minute
- A. Count the apical and radial pulses simultaneously for one full minute
- B. Count the radial pulse for 15 seconds and multiply the result by four
- C. Count the carotid pulse for 30 seconds while the patient talks
- D. Estimate the heart rate from the patient’s blood pressure monitor
Explanation
Simultaneous one-minute apical and radial counts show whether every cardiac contraction produces a peripheral pulse. Short counts and automated estimates may miss irregular beats or fail to identify the difference between central and peripheral rates.
Report an error
The more specific you are, the faster it gets fixed. A source beats an opinion.
Prefer email? support@testustad.com
About Vital Signs and Monitoring
Vital signs include temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and pain assessment. Coverage includes correct measurement sites and techniques, normal adult ranges, factors that alter readings, trends in patient observations, and the difference between an abnormal finding that needs reassessment and one requiring immediate reporting.
Practise Vital Signs and Monitoring
50 free Vital Signs and Monitoring MCQs from Fundamentals of Nursing, each with the correct answer and an explanation. Unlimited attempts, no account needed.
Discussion
Stuck on an option, or know a faster way to get there? Ask or explain it here.
No comments yet. Be the first to explain this one.
Exams that ask Fundamentals of Nursing questions like this
Fundamentals of Nursing is on 9 papers prepared for on TestUstad, and all of them draw the same bank, so this question is worth knowing for every one of them.
More Vital Signs and Monitoring questions
A patient’s pulse is 130 beats per minute immediately after walking to the bathroom and returns to 94 after five minutes of rest. The patient denies chest pain or breathlessness. What is the most appropriate nursing action?
A patient returns from vigorous exercise and needs an oral temperature measurement. How should the nurse obtain the most reliable reading?
A patient’s oxygen saturation falls to 82% while the patient is repeatedly moving the hand with the probe. The patient is pink and speaking comfortably. What should the nurse do first?
While auscultating an adult blood pressure, the first clear tapping sound is heard at 142 mmHg and the sounds disappear at 86 mmHg. How should the nurse record the pressure?
Which oral temperature is generally within the expected range for a healthy adult at rest?
When measuring an adult patient’s axillary temperature, which technique is correct?