NSG 3850 Exam 2 Patho 2 - Comprehensive
Respiratory Pathophysiology Exam AND WELL
VERIFIED ANSWERS ACTUAL!!!! 2026
Questions 1-50: Hypoxia and Ventilation Disorders
Question 1: The nurse is caring for a child who has circulatory hypoxia. Which of the following should
the nurse identify as a potential cause of this condition?
a. Cyanide poisoning
b. Brain injury
c. Anemia
d. Cardiac arrest
ANSWER✨✔-: D
Rationale:
Option A (Cyanide poisoning): Incorrect. Cyanide poisoning causes histotoxic hypoxia, not circulatory
hypoxia. In histotoxic hypoxia, cells cannot utilize oxygen properly due to toxin interference with cellular
metabolism.
Option B (Brain injury): Incorrect. Brain injury may cause various types of hypoxia depending on the
mechanism, but it is not a direct cause of circulatory hypoxia. Brain injury more commonly affects
respiratory drive.
Option C (Anemia): Incorrect. Anemia causes anemic hypoxia (hypemic hypoxia), which results from
decreased hemoglobin or altered hemoglobin function, not from poor circulation.
Option D (Cardiac arrest): Correct. Cardiac arrest causes circulatory (stagnant) hypoxia because blood
flow stops, preventing oxygen delivery to tissues regardless of adequate oxygenation in the lungs.
Circulatory hypoxia occurs when poor blood circulation impairs oxygen delivery to tissues.
www.health.com
Question 2: The nurse has attended a continuing education conference regarding care of clients who
have alterations in pulmonary function. Which of the following statements by the nurse would indicate a
correct understanding of the conference?
a. Restrictive lung disease is a common cause of hypoventilation
b. Hypoventilation is increased air in the alveoli leading to hypocapnia
c. Hyperventilation is a normal compensatory response to high altitude
,d. Opioid analgesics can cause a client to hyperventilate
ANSWER✨✔-: C
Rationale:
Option A (Restrictive lung disease is a common cause of hypoventilation): Partially correct but not the
best ANSWER✨✔-. While restrictive lung disease can contribute to ventilation problems, the
statement needs more specificity about the mechanism.
Option B (Hypoventilation is increased air in the alveoli leading to hypocapnia): Incorrect.
Hypoventilation is decreased ventilation leading to hypercapnia (increased CO2), not hypocapnia.
Alveolar hypoventilation is defined as insufficient ventilation leading to hypercapnia, which is an
increase in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide.
emedicine.medscape.com
Option C (Hyperventilation is a normal compensatory response to high altitude): Correct. At high
altitude, lower oxygen levels trigger increased respiratory rate and depth as a compensatory mechanism
to maximize oxygen uptake.
Option D (Opioid analgesics can cause a client to hyperventilate): Incorrect. Opioids cause respiratory
depression and hypoventilation, not hyperventilation, by depressing the respiratory center in the
brainstem.
Question 3: The nurse is caring for a client who is suspected of having acute bronchitis. Which of the
following diagnostic findings would confirm the diagnosis?
a. Thick, copious amounts of purulent sputum
b. Recent onset of cough
c. Pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph
d. Increase in white blood cell count
ANSWER✨✔-: B
Rationale:
Option A (Thick, copious amounts of purulent sputum): Incorrect. While sputum production can occur in
acute bronchitis, purulent sputum is more indicative of bacterial pneumonia or chronic bronchitis
exacerbation. Acute bronchitis typically presents with minimal or clear sputum initially.
Option B (Recent onset of cough): Correct. Cough is the hallmark symptom of acute bronchitis, and the
key diagnostic factor is duration of cough less than 30 days with no history of chronic respiratory illness.
bestpractice.bmj.com
Besides cough, other signs and symptoms of acute bronchitis include sputum production, dyspnea,
nasal congestion, headache, and fever.
,www.aafp.org
Option C (Pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph): Incorrect. Pulmonary infiltrates on chest x-ray
indicate pneumonia, not acute bronchitis. In acute bronchitis, chest radiograph is typically normal or
may show increased bronchial markings.
Option D (Increase in white blood cell count): Incorrect. WBC count may be normal or slightly elevated
in acute bronchitis, but it is not diagnostic. Most cases of acute bronchitis are viral, and WBC count is
not a reliable diagnostic indicator.
Question 4: The nurse is caring for the following assigned clients. The nurse identifies the greatest risk
for development of chronic bronchitis in the client who is:
a. 62-year-old who takes allergy medication and recently traveled internationally
b. 44-year-old who is overweight and has been treated for multiple airway infections over the last year
c. 32-year-old who has worked in a coal mine for 12 years and has an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
d. 55-year-old who lives in a nursing home and whose mother has pulmonary fibrosis
ANSWER✨✔-: C
Rationale:
Option A (62-year-old with allergy medication and international travel): Incorrect. Allergies and travel do
not significantly increase chronic bronchitis risk. Age alone is a factor, but without smoking or
environmental exposures, risk remains low.
Option B (44-year-old overweight with multiple airway infections): Incorrect. While recurrent infections
can contribute to airway damage, being overweight is not a primary risk factor for chronic bronchitis.
This client has moderate risk but not the highest.
Option C (32-year-old coal miner with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency): Correct. This client has multiple
major risk factors: occupational exposure to coal dust (people exposed to industrial dusts and fumes in
the workplace, such as coal miners, are at high risk),
acil.bwh.harvard.edu
and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic risk factor for lung disease. Smoking is the primary risk
factor for chronic bronchitis, but occupational exposures significantly increase risk.
emedicine.medscape.com
Option D (55-year-old in nursing home with family history of pulmonary fibrosis): Incorrect. Family
history of pulmonary fibrosis does not increase chronic bronchitis risk. Nursing home residence alone is
not a risk factor unless there are additional exposures.
Question 5: A patient presents to the emergency department with hypoxic cardiac arrest. The nurse
understands that this type of arrest is primarily caused by:
a. Severe electrolyte imbalance
, b. Inadequate oxygen delivery to cardiac tissue
c. Primary electrical conduction defect
d. Acute myocardial infarction
ANSWER✨✔-: B
Rationale:
Option A (Severe electrolyte imbalance): Incorrect. While electrolyte imbalances can cause cardiac
arrest, this would not be classified specifically as hypoxic cardiac arrest.
Option B (Inadequate oxygen delivery to cardiac tissue): Correct. Hypoxic cardiac arrest occurs when the
heart stops beating due to a lack of oxygen, often after drowning, choking, asthma attacks, or other
causes of severe hypoxemia.
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Sustained hypoxia is the most common non-cardiac cause of arrest.
geekymedics.com
Option C (Primary electrical conduction defect): Incorrect. Primary electrical defects cause arrhythmic
cardiac arrest, not hypoxic cardiac arrest.
Option D (Acute myocardial infarction): Incorrect. MI causes ischemic cardiac arrest due to coronary
artery blockage, which is different from hypoxic arrest caused by systemic oxygen deprivation.
Question 6: The nurse is assessing a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which
type of hypoxia is this patient most likely to experience?
a. Hypoxic hypoxia
b. Anemic hypoxia
c. Circulatory hypoxia
d. Histotoxic hypoxia
ANSWER✨✔-: A
Rationale:
Option A (Hypoxic hypoxia): Correct. Patients with COPD primarily experience hypoxic (arterial) hypoxia
due to ventilation-perfusion mismatch, alveolar hypoventilation, and impaired gas exchange in the
lungs.
Option B (Anemic hypoxia): Incorrect. Anemic hypoxia results from decreased hemoglobin or altered
hemoglobin function, which is not the primary problem in COPD.
Option C (Circulatory hypoxia): Incorrect. Circulatory hypoxia results from poor blood flow or circulation,
which is not the primary mechanism in COPD unless there is concurrent heart failure.
Respiratory Pathophysiology Exam AND WELL
VERIFIED ANSWERS ACTUAL!!!! 2026
Questions 1-50: Hypoxia and Ventilation Disorders
Question 1: The nurse is caring for a child who has circulatory hypoxia. Which of the following should
the nurse identify as a potential cause of this condition?
a. Cyanide poisoning
b. Brain injury
c. Anemia
d. Cardiac arrest
ANSWER✨✔-: D
Rationale:
Option A (Cyanide poisoning): Incorrect. Cyanide poisoning causes histotoxic hypoxia, not circulatory
hypoxia. In histotoxic hypoxia, cells cannot utilize oxygen properly due to toxin interference with cellular
metabolism.
Option B (Brain injury): Incorrect. Brain injury may cause various types of hypoxia depending on the
mechanism, but it is not a direct cause of circulatory hypoxia. Brain injury more commonly affects
respiratory drive.
Option C (Anemia): Incorrect. Anemia causes anemic hypoxia (hypemic hypoxia), which results from
decreased hemoglobin or altered hemoglobin function, not from poor circulation.
Option D (Cardiac arrest): Correct. Cardiac arrest causes circulatory (stagnant) hypoxia because blood
flow stops, preventing oxygen delivery to tissues regardless of adequate oxygenation in the lungs.
Circulatory hypoxia occurs when poor blood circulation impairs oxygen delivery to tissues.
www.health.com
Question 2: The nurse has attended a continuing education conference regarding care of clients who
have alterations in pulmonary function. Which of the following statements by the nurse would indicate a
correct understanding of the conference?
a. Restrictive lung disease is a common cause of hypoventilation
b. Hypoventilation is increased air in the alveoli leading to hypocapnia
c. Hyperventilation is a normal compensatory response to high altitude
,d. Opioid analgesics can cause a client to hyperventilate
ANSWER✨✔-: C
Rationale:
Option A (Restrictive lung disease is a common cause of hypoventilation): Partially correct but not the
best ANSWER✨✔-. While restrictive lung disease can contribute to ventilation problems, the
statement needs more specificity about the mechanism.
Option B (Hypoventilation is increased air in the alveoli leading to hypocapnia): Incorrect.
Hypoventilation is decreased ventilation leading to hypercapnia (increased CO2), not hypocapnia.
Alveolar hypoventilation is defined as insufficient ventilation leading to hypercapnia, which is an
increase in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide.
emedicine.medscape.com
Option C (Hyperventilation is a normal compensatory response to high altitude): Correct. At high
altitude, lower oxygen levels trigger increased respiratory rate and depth as a compensatory mechanism
to maximize oxygen uptake.
Option D (Opioid analgesics can cause a client to hyperventilate): Incorrect. Opioids cause respiratory
depression and hypoventilation, not hyperventilation, by depressing the respiratory center in the
brainstem.
Question 3: The nurse is caring for a client who is suspected of having acute bronchitis. Which of the
following diagnostic findings would confirm the diagnosis?
a. Thick, copious amounts of purulent sputum
b. Recent onset of cough
c. Pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph
d. Increase in white blood cell count
ANSWER✨✔-: B
Rationale:
Option A (Thick, copious amounts of purulent sputum): Incorrect. While sputum production can occur in
acute bronchitis, purulent sputum is more indicative of bacterial pneumonia or chronic bronchitis
exacerbation. Acute bronchitis typically presents with minimal or clear sputum initially.
Option B (Recent onset of cough): Correct. Cough is the hallmark symptom of acute bronchitis, and the
key diagnostic factor is duration of cough less than 30 days with no history of chronic respiratory illness.
bestpractice.bmj.com
Besides cough, other signs and symptoms of acute bronchitis include sputum production, dyspnea,
nasal congestion, headache, and fever.
,www.aafp.org
Option C (Pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph): Incorrect. Pulmonary infiltrates on chest x-ray
indicate pneumonia, not acute bronchitis. In acute bronchitis, chest radiograph is typically normal or
may show increased bronchial markings.
Option D (Increase in white blood cell count): Incorrect. WBC count may be normal or slightly elevated
in acute bronchitis, but it is not diagnostic. Most cases of acute bronchitis are viral, and WBC count is
not a reliable diagnostic indicator.
Question 4: The nurse is caring for the following assigned clients. The nurse identifies the greatest risk
for development of chronic bronchitis in the client who is:
a. 62-year-old who takes allergy medication and recently traveled internationally
b. 44-year-old who is overweight and has been treated for multiple airway infections over the last year
c. 32-year-old who has worked in a coal mine for 12 years and has an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
d. 55-year-old who lives in a nursing home and whose mother has pulmonary fibrosis
ANSWER✨✔-: C
Rationale:
Option A (62-year-old with allergy medication and international travel): Incorrect. Allergies and travel do
not significantly increase chronic bronchitis risk. Age alone is a factor, but without smoking or
environmental exposures, risk remains low.
Option B (44-year-old overweight with multiple airway infections): Incorrect. While recurrent infections
can contribute to airway damage, being overweight is not a primary risk factor for chronic bronchitis.
This client has moderate risk but not the highest.
Option C (32-year-old coal miner with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency): Correct. This client has multiple
major risk factors: occupational exposure to coal dust (people exposed to industrial dusts and fumes in
the workplace, such as coal miners, are at high risk),
acil.bwh.harvard.edu
and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic risk factor for lung disease. Smoking is the primary risk
factor for chronic bronchitis, but occupational exposures significantly increase risk.
emedicine.medscape.com
Option D (55-year-old in nursing home with family history of pulmonary fibrosis): Incorrect. Family
history of pulmonary fibrosis does not increase chronic bronchitis risk. Nursing home residence alone is
not a risk factor unless there are additional exposures.
Question 5: A patient presents to the emergency department with hypoxic cardiac arrest. The nurse
understands that this type of arrest is primarily caused by:
a. Severe electrolyte imbalance
, b. Inadequate oxygen delivery to cardiac tissue
c. Primary electrical conduction defect
d. Acute myocardial infarction
ANSWER✨✔-: B
Rationale:
Option A (Severe electrolyte imbalance): Incorrect. While electrolyte imbalances can cause cardiac
arrest, this would not be classified specifically as hypoxic cardiac arrest.
Option B (Inadequate oxygen delivery to cardiac tissue): Correct. Hypoxic cardiac arrest occurs when the
heart stops beating due to a lack of oxygen, often after drowning, choking, asthma attacks, or other
causes of severe hypoxemia.
www.facebook.com
Sustained hypoxia is the most common non-cardiac cause of arrest.
geekymedics.com
Option C (Primary electrical conduction defect): Incorrect. Primary electrical defects cause arrhythmic
cardiac arrest, not hypoxic cardiac arrest.
Option D (Acute myocardial infarction): Incorrect. MI causes ischemic cardiac arrest due to coronary
artery blockage, which is different from hypoxic arrest caused by systemic oxygen deprivation.
Question 6: The nurse is assessing a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which
type of hypoxia is this patient most likely to experience?
a. Hypoxic hypoxia
b. Anemic hypoxia
c. Circulatory hypoxia
d. Histotoxic hypoxia
ANSWER✨✔-: A
Rationale:
Option A (Hypoxic hypoxia): Correct. Patients with COPD primarily experience hypoxic (arterial) hypoxia
due to ventilation-perfusion mismatch, alveolar hypoventilation, and impaired gas exchange in the
lungs.
Option B (Anemic hypoxia): Incorrect. Anemic hypoxia results from decreased hemoglobin or altered
hemoglobin function, which is not the primary problem in COPD.
Option C (Circulatory hypoxia): Incorrect. Circulatory hypoxia results from poor blood flow or circulation,
which is not the primary mechanism in COPD unless there is concurrent heart failure.
