Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC) Practice Exam

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Prepare for your Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC) Test with comprehensive quizzes, case studies, and helpful materials. Enhance your knowledge and gain confidence before the big day!

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!

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How does digoxin help patients with heart failure?

Raises heart rate and promotes fluid retention
Increases cardiac contractility and decreases heart rate
Decreases blood pressure and promotes vasodilation
Improves oxygen saturation dramatically

The correct answer is: Increases cardiac contractility and decreases heart rate

Digoxin plays a pivotal role in the management of heart failure primarily due to its ability to increase cardiac contractility while simultaneously decreasing heart rate. By enhancing the force of myocardial contraction, digoxin improves the heart’s efficiency in pumping blood. This action is particularly beneficial for patients with heart failure, where the heart struggles to maintain adequate circulation. Additionally, digoxin reduces the heart rate by exerting a parasympathetic effect through its actions on the vagus nerve. This is advantageous in heart failure patients who often demonstrate elevated heart rates as a compensatory mechanism for reduced cardiac output. By lowering the heart rate, digoxin allows for improved diastolic filling of the heart, which can enhance overall cardiac output. This balanced approach contributes significantly to symptom relief and improved functional status in individuals with heart failure, making the option that describes these effects the correct choice.