PORTH'S ESSENTIALS OF
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
5TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)TOMMIE L. NORRIS
TEST BANK
1. Reference
Ch. 1 — Concepts of Health and Disease — Health as a
Dynamic State
Question
A client says, “I am healthy because I do not have any diagnosed
illness.” The nurse notes that the client has poor sleep, high
stress, and inconsistent exercise. Which response best reflects
the concept of health in pathophysiology?
A. Health is the absence of symptoms and diagnosed disease.
B. Health is a dynamic state influenced by internal and external
,conditions.
C. Health is determined only by genetic factors.
D. Health is unchanged unless laboratory values become
abnormal.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
B. Correct. Health is not simply the absence of disease; it is a
dynamic state that changes as a person adapts to physical,
psychological, and environmental demands. Poor sleep, stress,
and inactivity can shift the person toward illness even before a
diagnosis occurs.
A. Incorrect. A person may feel well and still have risk factors,
altered physiology, or early disease processes.
C. Incorrect. Genetics contributes to health, but behavior,
environment, and adaptation also shape the health state.
D. Incorrect. Many pathophysiologic changes occur before labs
become abnormal; health status is broader than laboratory
data alone.
Teaching Point: Health is a continuum shaped by adaptation,
not just the presence or absence of diagnosis.
Citation: Norris, T. L. (2019). Porth’s Essentials of
Pathophysiology (5th ed.). Ch. 1.
2. Reference
,Ch. 1 — Concepts of Health and Disease — Disease, Illness,
and Sickness
Question
A client has laboratory evidence of diabetes mellitus but reports
feeling “fine” and sees no reason to change diet or activity.
Which concept best explains this situation?
A. Illness without disease
B. Disease without illness
C. Sickness without disease
D. Recovery phase of disease
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
B. Correct. Disease refers to objective pathophysiologic
abnormality, while illness refers to the subjective experience of
feeling unwell. This client has measurable disease but does not
perceive illness.
A. Incorrect. Illness without disease would mean the person
feels unwell without objective evidence of pathology.
C. Incorrect. Sickness refers to the social role of being ill, which
is not demonstrated here.
D. Incorrect. Recovery would imply improvement from a prior
diseased state, not ongoing unrecognized disease.
Teaching Point: Disease can exist before the person feels ill or
seeks care.
, Citation: Norris, T. L. (2019). Porth’s Essentials of
Pathophysiology (5th ed.). Ch. 1.
3. Reference
Ch. 1 — Concepts of Health and Disease — Homeostasis and
Adaptation
Question
After a client experiences blood loss, the heart rate increases
and peripheral blood vessels constrict. Which interpretation is
most accurate?
A. The body is failing because it cannot maintain any function
during stress.
B. The response reflects compensatory mechanisms that
support homeostasis.
C. The response indicates irreversible cell injury has already
occurred.
D. The response is evidence that disease is always worsening.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
B. Correct. Tachycardia and vasoconstriction are adaptive
responses that help preserve perfusion after blood loss. They
are classic examples of compensation to maintain homeostasis.
A. Incorrect. These are signs of physiologic compensation, not
failure.
C. Incorrect. Compensation does not automatically mean
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
5TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)TOMMIE L. NORRIS
TEST BANK
1. Reference
Ch. 1 — Concepts of Health and Disease — Health as a
Dynamic State
Question
A client says, “I am healthy because I do not have any diagnosed
illness.” The nurse notes that the client has poor sleep, high
stress, and inconsistent exercise. Which response best reflects
the concept of health in pathophysiology?
A. Health is the absence of symptoms and diagnosed disease.
B. Health is a dynamic state influenced by internal and external
,conditions.
C. Health is determined only by genetic factors.
D. Health is unchanged unless laboratory values become
abnormal.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
B. Correct. Health is not simply the absence of disease; it is a
dynamic state that changes as a person adapts to physical,
psychological, and environmental demands. Poor sleep, stress,
and inactivity can shift the person toward illness even before a
diagnosis occurs.
A. Incorrect. A person may feel well and still have risk factors,
altered physiology, or early disease processes.
C. Incorrect. Genetics contributes to health, but behavior,
environment, and adaptation also shape the health state.
D. Incorrect. Many pathophysiologic changes occur before labs
become abnormal; health status is broader than laboratory
data alone.
Teaching Point: Health is a continuum shaped by adaptation,
not just the presence or absence of diagnosis.
Citation: Norris, T. L. (2019). Porth’s Essentials of
Pathophysiology (5th ed.). Ch. 1.
2. Reference
,Ch. 1 — Concepts of Health and Disease — Disease, Illness,
and Sickness
Question
A client has laboratory evidence of diabetes mellitus but reports
feeling “fine” and sees no reason to change diet or activity.
Which concept best explains this situation?
A. Illness without disease
B. Disease without illness
C. Sickness without disease
D. Recovery phase of disease
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
B. Correct. Disease refers to objective pathophysiologic
abnormality, while illness refers to the subjective experience of
feeling unwell. This client has measurable disease but does not
perceive illness.
A. Incorrect. Illness without disease would mean the person
feels unwell without objective evidence of pathology.
C. Incorrect. Sickness refers to the social role of being ill, which
is not demonstrated here.
D. Incorrect. Recovery would imply improvement from a prior
diseased state, not ongoing unrecognized disease.
Teaching Point: Disease can exist before the person feels ill or
seeks care.
, Citation: Norris, T. L. (2019). Porth’s Essentials of
Pathophysiology (5th ed.). Ch. 1.
3. Reference
Ch. 1 — Concepts of Health and Disease — Homeostasis and
Adaptation
Question
After a client experiences blood loss, the heart rate increases
and peripheral blood vessels constrict. Which interpretation is
most accurate?
A. The body is failing because it cannot maintain any function
during stress.
B. The response reflects compensatory mechanisms that
support homeostasis.
C. The response indicates irreversible cell injury has already
occurred.
D. The response is evidence that disease is always worsening.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales
B. Correct. Tachycardia and vasoconstriction are adaptive
responses that help preserve perfusion after blood loss. They
are classic examples of compensation to maintain homeostasis.
A. Incorrect. These are signs of physiologic compensation, not
failure.
C. Incorrect. Compensation does not automatically mean
