NUR 450 Exam 4 Chapters 21 & 22
2026/2027 | Practice Questions and
Answers
1 of 42
Term
How does rheumatoid arthritis (RA) commonly present in older adults
compared to younger adults?
Give this one a try later!
Weakened bones due to osteoporosis and falls are the most common causes of
fractures in older adults. More than 25% of older adults aged 65 or older fall each
year (NIA, 2022). The most frequently occurring fractures among older adults
include hip, femur, wrist, and spine fractures.
Cane: Helps with balance and slight support
Quad cane: Gives more support than a regular cane
Walker with front wheels: Allows the walker to stay in constant contact with the
floor
Walker with adjustable front wheels: Lets the height and movement be customized
for the patient
, The drug management of RA is directed at disease management and symptom
control. Drugs selected for relief of pain and inflammation include
corticosteroids, analgesics, and NSAIDs. Corticosteroids, along with drugs known
as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), are prescribed to aid with
disease control.
Systemic symptoms may include fatigue, malaise, anorexia, weight loss, and
anemia. RA in older adults may appear atypically; that is, large joints are
affected more often, and the onset may be more sudden than in younger
adults. Fatigue, weakness, and fever may be present.
Don't know?
2 of 42
Definition
Casts are one type of device used to immobilize an injured body
part. At the same time, casts provide a means of providing pain
relief, decreasing swelling, and reducing muscle spasms (AAOS,
2020). They maintain proper positioning of the injured area, prevent
further deformity, protect realigned bones, and promote healing.
Used on the lower extremities, they may also allow for earlier weight
bearing.
Give this one a try later!
, What is the goal of medication
What are common types of assistive
treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
walking devices and what do they
(RA), and which drugs are commonly
do?
used?
What is the primary purpose of
What are the main types of fractures? applying a cast to an injured
body part?
Don't know?
3 of 42
Term
Depression
Give this one a try later!
Dementia is a syndrome of gradual and progressive cognitive decline. It has
been defined as an alteration in memory in addition to an acquired persistent
alteration in intellectual function (e.g., orientation, calculation, attention, and
motor skills) compromising multiple cognitive domains. In dementia, individuals
are unable to do the things they used to do because of the mental changes
associated with this disease process. Dementia may involve language deficits,
apraxia (difficulty with the manipulation of objects), agnosia (inability to
recognize familiar objects), agraphia (difficulty drawing objects), and impaired
executive function.
, Depression is a mood disorder and a chronic medical condition that often has
an atypical presentation in older adults. Depression may be found as part of
an evaluation of cognitive function. Signs and symptoms of depression in
older adults include apathy, persistent sadness, irritability, fatigue, low energy,
feelings of guilt and worthlessness, hopelessness, loss of interest in activities
once enjoyed, trouble concentrating and other cognitive changes, insomnia,
oversleeping, overeating, or anorexia, slower speech or movement, persistent
digestive problems, physical pains that do not respond to treatment, and
recurring thoughts of death
Older adults have a high risk for depression due to multiple factors unique to
older adults, including multiple chronic conditions (80% of older adults have at
least one chronic condition), decreased functional ability, reduced mobility,
chronic pain, financial issues following retirement, abuse, caregiver stress,
sedentary lifestyle, and social isolation
Delirium presents as a disturbance in attention, cognition, affective expression, and
motor behavior. The onset of the disturbance is rapid (hours to days) and typically
fluctuates over the course of the day. Delirium is associated with poor outcomes, an
increased risk of morbidity and mortality, loss of autonomy, an increased length of
hospital stays and expenses. Older adults are at increased risk of delirium due to
multiple medical conditions and increased sensitivity to drugs
AD is the most common form of dementia. AD is a slowly progressive
neurodegenerative disease whose main characteristic is the accumulation of the
protein beta-amyloid (plaques) outside neurons and twisted strands of the protein
tau (tangles) inside neurons in the brain. These changes are accompanied by the
death of neurons and damage to brain tissue, resulting in atrophy. The presence of
beta-amyloid and tau proteins is thought to activate the immune system, causing
inflammation in the brain. Finally, AD decreases the brain's ability to metabolize
glucose. The deposits of beta-amyloid and tau proteins are visible on a positron
emission tomography (PET) scan. Persons with AD survive on average, 4-8 years
after diagnosis
Don't know?
4 of 42
2026/2027 | Practice Questions and
Answers
1 of 42
Term
How does rheumatoid arthritis (RA) commonly present in older adults
compared to younger adults?
Give this one a try later!
Weakened bones due to osteoporosis and falls are the most common causes of
fractures in older adults. More than 25% of older adults aged 65 or older fall each
year (NIA, 2022). The most frequently occurring fractures among older adults
include hip, femur, wrist, and spine fractures.
Cane: Helps with balance and slight support
Quad cane: Gives more support than a regular cane
Walker with front wheels: Allows the walker to stay in constant contact with the
floor
Walker with adjustable front wheels: Lets the height and movement be customized
for the patient
, The drug management of RA is directed at disease management and symptom
control. Drugs selected for relief of pain and inflammation include
corticosteroids, analgesics, and NSAIDs. Corticosteroids, along with drugs known
as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), are prescribed to aid with
disease control.
Systemic symptoms may include fatigue, malaise, anorexia, weight loss, and
anemia. RA in older adults may appear atypically; that is, large joints are
affected more often, and the onset may be more sudden than in younger
adults. Fatigue, weakness, and fever may be present.
Don't know?
2 of 42
Definition
Casts are one type of device used to immobilize an injured body
part. At the same time, casts provide a means of providing pain
relief, decreasing swelling, and reducing muscle spasms (AAOS,
2020). They maintain proper positioning of the injured area, prevent
further deformity, protect realigned bones, and promote healing.
Used on the lower extremities, they may also allow for earlier weight
bearing.
Give this one a try later!
, What is the goal of medication
What are common types of assistive
treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
walking devices and what do they
(RA), and which drugs are commonly
do?
used?
What is the primary purpose of
What are the main types of fractures? applying a cast to an injured
body part?
Don't know?
3 of 42
Term
Depression
Give this one a try later!
Dementia is a syndrome of gradual and progressive cognitive decline. It has
been defined as an alteration in memory in addition to an acquired persistent
alteration in intellectual function (e.g., orientation, calculation, attention, and
motor skills) compromising multiple cognitive domains. In dementia, individuals
are unable to do the things they used to do because of the mental changes
associated with this disease process. Dementia may involve language deficits,
apraxia (difficulty with the manipulation of objects), agnosia (inability to
recognize familiar objects), agraphia (difficulty drawing objects), and impaired
executive function.
, Depression is a mood disorder and a chronic medical condition that often has
an atypical presentation in older adults. Depression may be found as part of
an evaluation of cognitive function. Signs and symptoms of depression in
older adults include apathy, persistent sadness, irritability, fatigue, low energy,
feelings of guilt and worthlessness, hopelessness, loss of interest in activities
once enjoyed, trouble concentrating and other cognitive changes, insomnia,
oversleeping, overeating, or anorexia, slower speech or movement, persistent
digestive problems, physical pains that do not respond to treatment, and
recurring thoughts of death
Older adults have a high risk for depression due to multiple factors unique to
older adults, including multiple chronic conditions (80% of older adults have at
least one chronic condition), decreased functional ability, reduced mobility,
chronic pain, financial issues following retirement, abuse, caregiver stress,
sedentary lifestyle, and social isolation
Delirium presents as a disturbance in attention, cognition, affective expression, and
motor behavior. The onset of the disturbance is rapid (hours to days) and typically
fluctuates over the course of the day. Delirium is associated with poor outcomes, an
increased risk of morbidity and mortality, loss of autonomy, an increased length of
hospital stays and expenses. Older adults are at increased risk of delirium due to
multiple medical conditions and increased sensitivity to drugs
AD is the most common form of dementia. AD is a slowly progressive
neurodegenerative disease whose main characteristic is the accumulation of the
protein beta-amyloid (plaques) outside neurons and twisted strands of the protein
tau (tangles) inside neurons in the brain. These changes are accompanied by the
death of neurons and damage to brain tissue, resulting in atrophy. The presence of
beta-amyloid and tau proteins is thought to activate the immune system, causing
inflammation in the brain. Finally, AD decreases the brain's ability to metabolize
glucose. The deposits of beta-amyloid and tau proteins are visible on a positron
emission tomography (PET) scan. Persons with AD survive on average, 4-8 years
after diagnosis
Don't know?
4 of 42
