A Patient Is Very Short of Breath

question 2

Multiple Choice

A patient is very short of breath. Which finding should cause the nurse to consider that the shortness of breath might be due to heart failure?

• A) An echocardiogram that reflects increased right ventricular wall thickening
• B) A B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) of 300 pg/mL
• C) A left ventricular ejection fraction (VEF) of 50%
• D) A serum sodium of 135

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Definitions:

PCR

A laboratory technique used to amplify specific DNA sequences.

Forensic Analysis

The application of scientific methods and techniques in the investigation of crime, primarily related to the collection and analysis of physical evidence.

Bacterial Plasmid

Small, circular, double-stranded DNA molecules found in bacteria, which can replicate independently and often carry genes beneficial to the survival of the bacteria, such as antibiotic resistance genes.

Human DNA

The complete set of nucleic acid sequences for humans, encoding the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of human organisms.