American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Practice Test

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Prepare for the AACN Certification Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

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What characterizes Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome?

Recurrent oral ulcers and fever
Short PR interval, delta waves, and wide QRS complex
Acidosis, coagulopathy, and hypothermia
Diarrhea, dementia, and dermatitis

The correct answer is: Short PR interval, delta waves, and wide QRS complex

Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW) is characterized by specific electrocardiogram (ECG) findings that help in its diagnosis. The presence of a short PR interval is significant because it indicates that the electrical impulses are being conducted unusually quickly from the atria to the ventricles, often due to an accessory pathway known as the Bundle of Kent. Delta waves represent this early ventricular depolarization that occurs because of the bypassing of the normal conduction pathway. Additionally, the QRS complex is widened as the ventricles are activated in an abnormal fashion. This combination of a short PR interval, delta waves, and a wide QRS complex on an ECG is distinctive of WPW and helps differentiate it from other cardiac conditions. The other choices represent different clinical syndromes or conditions that do not relate to WPW. Thus, the characteristics of WPW as described in the correct answer make it a unique and identifiable cardiac condition.