NCLEX Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) Practice Exam

The concern regarding premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) arises when there are more than six PVCs per minute. This threshold is significant because an increased frequency of PVCs can indicate underlying cardiac instability and may be associated with a higher risk of developing more serious arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, especially in patients with existing heart conditions.

While it's true that a higher frequency of PVCs, such as more than 10 per second, is alarming, it is a less common situation and does not reflect the broader context of PVC monitoring in typical clinical practice. The presence of PVCs in patients with a history of heart disease is also a critical factor, but it does not solely determine the need for concern; thus, concern can arise irrespective of this history based on the frequency alone. Lastly, the occurrence of chest pain is important in evaluating the patient's condition, but it's not the only indicator that necessitates concern related to PVCs. Monitoring their frequency is critical to understanding the potential risk to the patient.