National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) Practice Exam

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

Prepare for the NPTE with our exam quiz. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions to boost your confidence. Learn with detailed explanations and hints for each question. Get ready for success!

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.

In which two structures would the tubes for a right ventricular assistive device (RVAD) be located?

Right atrium and aorta
Right atrium and pulmonary artery
Left atrium and aorta
Left atrium and pulmonary artery

The correct answer is: Right atrium and pulmonary artery

A right ventricular assist device (RVAD) is designed to support the function of the right ventricle in patients with heart failure or other cardiac conditions that impair the right ventricle's function. The two primary structures where the tubes of an RVAD are located are the right atrium and pulmonary artery. The inflow cannula of the RVAD is placed in the right atrium, where it receives deoxygenated blood from the body. This blood is then pumped by the RVAD into the pulmonary artery via the outflow cannula. The purpose is to deliver this blood to the lungs for oxygenation. This system effectively bypasses a dysfunctional right ventricle while maintaining pulmonary circulation, which is crucial for the patient’s oxygenation. In contrast, other combinations of structures would not effectively facilitate the device's function. For instance, connecting to the aorta would not be appropriate for an RVAD, as this would pertain more to left-sided devices that assist in systemic circulation.