Health Assessment Final Exam Spring 2022

EXAM 3 CHAPTER 13 1. A physician tells the nurse that a patient’s vertebra prominens is tender and asks the nurse to reevaluate the area in 1 hour. The area of the body the nurse will assess is: a. Just above the diaphragm. b. Just lateral to the knee cap. c. At the level of the C7 vertebra. d. At the level of the T11 vertebra. ANS: C The C7 vertebra has a long spinous process, called the vertebra prominens, which is palpable when the head is flexed. 2. A mother brings her 2-month-old daughter in for an examination and says, “My daughter rolled over against the wall, and now I have noticed that she has this spot that is soft on the top of her head. Is something terribly wrong?” The nurse’s best response would be: a. “Perhaps that could be a result of your dietary intake during pregnancy.” b. “Your baby may have craniosynostosis, a disease of the sutures of the brain.” c. “That ‘soft spot’ may be an indication of cretinism or congenital hypothyroidism.” d. “That ‘soft spot’ is normal, and actually allows for growth of the brain during the first year of your baby’s life.” HHeaelatlht hA Asssessessmsmenetn Ft Finianla El Exaxmam S pSrpirnign g2 2 ANS: D Membrane-covered “soft spots” allow for growth of the brain during the first year of life. They gradually ossify; the triangular-shaped posterior fontanel is closed by 1 to 2 months, and the diamond-shaped anterior fontanel closes between 9 months and 2 years. 3. The nurse notices that a patient’s palpebral fissures are not symmetric. On examination, the nurse may find that damage has occurred to which cranial nerve (CN)? a. III b. V c. VII d. VIII ANS: C Facial muscles are mediated by CN VII; asymmetry of palpebral fissures may be attributable to damage to CN VII (Bell palsy). 4. A patient is unable to differentiate between sharp and dull stimulation to both sides of her face. The nurse suspects: a. Bell palsy. b. Damage to the trigeminal nerve. c. Frostbite with resultant paresthesia to the cheeks. d. Scleroderma. ANS: B Facial sensations of pain or touch are mediated by CN V, which is the trigeminal nerve. Bell palsy is associated with CN VII damage. Frostbite and scleroderma are not associated with this problem. 5. When examining the face of a patient, the nurse is aware that the two pairs of salivary glands that are accessible to examination are the ___________ and ___________ glands. a. Occipital; submental b. Parotid; jugulodigastric c. Parotid; submandibular d. Submandibular; occipital ANS: C Two pairs of salivary glands accessible to examination on the face are the parotid glands, which are in the cheeks over the mandible, anterior to and below the ear; and the submandibular glands, which are beneath the mandible at the angle of the jaw. The parotid glands are normally nonpalpable. 6. A patient comes to the clinic complaining of neck and shoulder pain and is unable to turn her head. The nurse suspects damage to CN ______ and proceeds with the examination by _____________. a. XI; palpating the anterior and posterior triangles b. XI; asking the patient to shrug her shoulders against resistance c. XII; percussing the sternomastoid and submandibular neck muscles d. XII; assessing for a positive Romberg sign ANS: B The major neck muscles are the sternomastoid and the trapezius. They are innervated by CN XI, the spinal accessory. The innervated muscles assist with head rotation and head flexion, movement of the shoulders, and extension and turning of the head. 7. When examining a patient’s CN function, the nurse remembers that the muscles in the neck that are innervated by CN XI are the: a. Sternomastoid and trapezius. b. Spinal accessory and omohyoid. c. Trapezius and sternomandibular. d. Sternomandibular and spinal accessory. ANS: A The major neck muscles are the sternomastoid and the trapezius. They are innervated by CN XI, the spinal accessory. 8. A patient’s laboratory data reveal an elevated thyroxine (T4) level. The nurse would proceed with an examination of the _____ gland. a. Thyroid b. Parotid c. Adrenal d. Parathyroid ANS: A The thyroid gland is a highly vascular endocrine gland that secretes T4 and triiodothyronine (T3). The other glands do not secrete T4.