Heart Quiz: Self Test with Answers

This quiz is for third year student nurses and newly graduated nurses. Nurses working in specialized areas should not have any difficulty with this quiz and nurses in general areas should obtain 90 % marks. Answers are supplied so that you can compare with your knowledge.

1. Name the four chambers of the heart.
2. Name the three layers of the heart beginning from the interior.
3. Where is the SA node located?
4. Where is the AV node located?

Picture 1: The Heart, External View Picture by Sarjeet S. Gill

1. What is the intrinsic contraction rate of the heart?
2. Heart rate is decreased below the intrinsic rate primarily by activation of which nerve?
3. What is the principle effect of the sympathetic nervous system on the heart rate?
4. What happens to the CVP when there is circulatory overload?
5. What happens to the CVP of a patient suffering from Diabetes Insipidus?
6. Right or Wrong: The CVP of a patient is measured from inside the heart?
7. Right or Wrong: Pulmonary pressure can be measured with a CVP line?
8. Right or Wrong: The smooth lining of the interior of the heart is the epithelium?
9. Right or Wrong: The kidneys do not have a role in maintaining blood pressure?
10. Right or Wrong: Chest pain radiating into the right arm is the most common symptom of a heart attack?
11. Right or Wrong: U & E imbalances indicate myocardial injury?
12. What is the normal blood pressure of a healthy adult?
13. What is the normal CVP of a healthy adult?
14. When there is blood loss what happens to the heart rate?
15. What is the most common first intervention when there is blood loss in the hospital setting, prior to the administration of blood?
16. What are plasma expanders?
17. What is the principle difference between signs and symptoms?
18. What is the main difference between subjective and objective data?
19. What size is the human heart? Please state this in reference to the another body part
20. What is the length of human blood vessels in an average adult?
21. How much blood is pumped each day by a normal heart?

Answers:

1. Left and right atria, left and right ventricles.
2. Endocardium, myocardium and pericardium.
3. It is located on the right atrium.
4. It is located on the right ventricle.
5. 110 beats per minute.
6. Vagus innervating the SA node.
7. Stimulate the heart to beat faster.
8. The CVP rises.
9. The CVP falls.
10. Wrong.
11. Wrong.
12. Wrong.
13. Wrong.
14. Wrong.
15. Wrong.
16. Systolic: 100 plus the age of the person. Diastolic of less than 100 mm. Hg.
17. + 4 to +8 cm. Of water.
18. Heart rate rises.
19. Administration of Normal Saline or other plasma expander.
20. Plasma Expanders are volume increasing fluids.
21. Signs are what you as the Registered Nurse can measure and evaluate; and symptoms are what the patient tells you.
22. Subjective data consists of information which is not quantifiable / measurable e.g. “I have a lot of back pain”. Objective data is measurable e.g. body temperature.
23. The size of a human heart is the same as a closed fist.
24. 60,000 miles of blood vessels.
25. 4,000 gallons of blood is pumped by an average sized heart.