Aortic Aneurysm

Question 1

A patient has an asymptomatic aneurysm that is 5.8 cm in diameter. What will the nurse teach this patient regarding treatment?
1 Preoperative education about surgical repair
2The use of simvastatin to reduce the aneurysm
3The use of doxycycline to eliminate the aneurysm
4The use of hormonal therapy to reduce the aneurysm

Answer 1

ANS. 1
Surgical repair is recommended for the patient who has asymptomatic aneurysms of greater than 5.5 cm in diameter. Simvastatin is used for lowering the growth rate of aneurysm, but it is not effective for large aneurysms. Doxycycline is an antibiotic and it is used to reduce the growth of an aneurysm. Hormone therapy is beneficial for the postmenopausal patient.

Question 2

The nurse is administering medication to a patient in order to titrate to achieve a target heart rate of 60 beats/minute or less. What medication will the nurse administer to the patient?
1 Esmolol
2 Clopidogrel
3 Nadroparin
4 Rivaroxaban

Answer 2

ANS: 1
Esmolol is a β-adrenergic blocker and is titrated to a target a heart rate of 60 beats/minute or less. Clopidogrel is recommended for peripheral artery disease. Nadroparin is used as an anticoagulant. Rivaroxaban is a factor Xa inhibitor and is used as an anticoagulant.

Question 3

The nurse assesses a patient with diaphoresis, weakness, periumbilical pain, pallor, and a pulsating abdominal mass. The patient’s heart rate is 120 beats/minute and blood pressure is 90/60 mm Hg. What does the nurse suspect is occurring with this patient?
1 Aneurysm rupture
2 Marfan’s syndrome
3 Metoprolol adverse effects
4 Superficial vein thrombosis

Answer 3

ANS: 1
Dilation of the aorta indicates aortic aneurysms. Diaphoresis, weakness, periumbilical pain, tachycardia, pallor, pulsating abdominal mass, and hypotension are the symptoms of aneurysm rupture. Marfan’s syndrome is a genetic disorder and it affects the body’s connective tissue. Dizziness, depression, fatigue, and erectile dysfunction are adverse effects of metoprolol. Tenderness, itching, redness, warmth, pain, and inflammation of the leg vein are the symptoms of superficial vein thrombosis.