MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. For the client who is at risk for stroke, the most important guideline the nurse should 

teach is to:

1. increase drinks with caffeine.

2. monitor blood pressure.

3. increase amounts of sodium in the diet.

4. monitor weight and activity.

ANS: 2

Monitoring weight and activity is important, but the highest priority is monitoring the blood 

pressure. This is a modifiable risk factor that, when controlled, will decrease the risk of stroke.

2. The family of a client diagnosed with a stroke asks the nurse if this health problem is 

very common. The nurse should respond that in the United States a person has a stroke 

every:

1. 40 seconds.

2. 1 minutes.

3. 2 minutes.

4. 5 minutes.

ANS: 1

In the United States, a person has a stroke every 40 seconds, and 700,000 new or recurrent 

strokes each year. Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States behind 

heart disease and cancer and are the leading cause of long-term disability.

3.A client is being evaluated for a stroke. The nurse knows that one of the easiest and 

most common diagnostic tests used to differentiate between strokes is:

1. computed tomography (CT).

2. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

3. electrocardiography (EEG).

4. positron emission tomography (PET).

ANS: 1

The CT scan is widely available in most hospitals and is an important tool to differentiate 

between ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic stroke. It is the most common tool used to 

diagnose a stroke. An MRI is contraindicated in clients with metal implants or pacemakers, 

and it can exacerbate claustrophobia. An EEG will determine the presence of brain waves, 

and it is not a diagnostic test for a stroke. A PET scan determines brain tissue functioning but, 

it will not be able to differentiate between the types of strokes.

4. While instructing a client on stroke prevention, the nurse mentions medications that 

are useful in stroke prevention. The following medications are effective in preventing a 

stroke, EXCEPT:

1. anticoagulants.

2. antiplatelets.

3. anticholinergics.

4. neuroprotective agents.

ANS: 3

Although anticholinergic drugs have a variety of uses, stroke prevention is not one of them. 

All the other medications are used in a variety of ways to help with stroke prevention.