Cardiac-Vascular Nursing (CVRN) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Cardiac-Vascular Nursing Exam. Study with comprehensive multiple-choice questions and in-depth explanations. Enhance your knowledge and ensure success on your test!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What is the most important tool for assessing a patient who may have coronary artery disease?

An exercise stress test
A clear, concise history
A 12-lead ECG
An echocardiogram

The correct answer is: A clear, concise history

A clear, concise history is fundamental in assessing a patient who may have coronary artery disease. The history-taking process allows healthcare providers to gather vital information about the patient's symptoms, risk factors, and medical history. Key aspects include understanding the nature of chest pain (e.g., quality, duration, and triggers), the presence of risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, and family history of heart disease. This comprehensive history is essential because it helps to identify individuals at risk and can guide further diagnostic testing and management strategies. Understanding the patient's perspective and symptoms can lead to more accurate diagnoses and tailored treatment plans. Given that coronary artery disease often presents with subtle or atypical symptoms, a thorough history can uncover critical information that other assessment tools might miss. Thus, the information obtained through a well-structured history is a cornerstone in the evaluation of potential coronary artery disease.