PATHO TEST BANK EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS #13
Following a car accident of a male teenager who did not have his seatbelt on, he arrived
in the emergency department with a traumatic brain injury. He has severe cerebral
edema following emergent craniotomy. Throughout the night, the nurse has been
monitoring and reporting changes in his assessment. Which of the following
assessments correspond to a supratentorial herniation that has progressed to include
midbrain involvement? Select all that apply.
A) Clouding of consciousness
B) Decorticate posturing with painful stimulation
C) Pupils fixed at approximately 5 mm in diameter
D) Respiration rate of 40 breaths/minute
E) Decerebrate posturing following painful stimulation of the sternum - correct answer
C) Pupils fixed at approximately 5 mm in diameter
D) Respiration rate of 40 breaths/minute
E) Decerebrate posturing following painful stimulation of the sternum
1. A patient in the intensive care unit who has a brain tumor has experienced a sharp
decline. The care team suspects that water and protein have crossed the blood brain
barrier and been transferred from the vascular space into the client's interstitial space.
Which of the following diagnoses best captures this pathophysiology?
Focal hypoxia
Cytotoxic edema
Hydrocephalus
Vasogenic edema - correct answer Vasogenic edema
1. A clinician is conducting an assessment of a male client suspected of having a
disorder of motor function. Which of the following assessment findings would suggest a
possible upper motor neuron (UMN) lesion?
A) The client has decreased deep tendon reflexes.
B) The client displays increased muscle tone.
C) The client's muscles appear atrophied.
D) The client displays weakness in the distal portions of his limbs. - correct answer The
client displays increased muscle tone.
1. Following a motor vehicle accident 3 months prior, a 20-year-old female who has
been in a coma since her accident has now had her condition declared a persistent
vegetative state. How can her care providers most accurately explain an aspect of her
situation to her parents?
A) Your daughter has lost all her cognitive functions as well as all her basic reflexes.
B) Though she still goes through a cycle of sleeping and waking, her condition is
unlikely to change.
C) If you or the care team notices any spontaneous eye opening, then we will change
our treatment plan.
, D) Your daughter's condition is an unfortunate combination with total loss of
consciousness but continuation of all other normal brain functions. - correct answer
Though she still goes through a cycle of sleeping and waking, her condition is unlikely to
change.
1. Which of the following diagnostic findings is likely to result in the most serious brain
insult?
A) Mean arterial pressure (MAP) that equals intracranial pressure (ICP)
B) Moderate decrease in brain tissue volume secondary to a brain tumor removal
C) Increased ICP accompanied by hyperventilation
D) High intracellular concentration of glutamate - correct answer Mean arterial pressure
(MAP) that equals intracranial pressure (ICP)
1. The unique clinical presentation of a 3-month-old infant in the emergency department
leads the care team to suspect botulism. Which of the following assessment questions
posed to the parents is likely to be most useful in the differential diagnosis?
A) Have you ever given your child any honey or honey-containing products?
B) Is there any family history of neuromuscular diseases?
C) Has your baby ever been directly exposed to any chemical cleaning products?
D) Is there any mold in your home that you know of? - correct answer Have you ever
given your child any honey or honey-containing products?
When reviewing the purpose/action of neurotransmitters as they interact with different
receptors, the nursing instructor gives an example using acetylcholine. When
acetylcholine is released at the sinoatrial node in the right atrium of the heart, it is
A) positively charged.
B) inhibitory.
C) overstimulated.
D) dormant. - correct answer inhibitory
A toddler is displaying signs and symptoms of weakness and muscle atrophy. The
pediatric neurologist suspects it may be a lower motor neuron disease called spinal
muscular atrophy (SMA). The patient's family asks how he got this. The nurse will
respond
A) This could result from playing in soil and then ingesting bacteria that are now
attacking his motor neurons.
B) No one really knows how this disease is formed. We just know that in time, he may
grow out of it.
C) This is a degenerative disorder that tends to be inherited as an autosomal recessive
trait.
D) This is a segmental demyelination disorder that affects all nerve roots and eventually
all muscle groups as well. - correct answer This is a degenerative disorder that tends to
be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.
, A child is experiencing difficulty with chewing and swallowing. The nurse knows that
which of the following cells may be innervating specialized gut-related receptors that
provide taste and smell?
A) Special somatic afferent fibers
B) General somatic afferents
C) Special visceral afferent cells
D) General visceral afferent neurons - correct answer Special visceral afferent cells
The nurse knows which of the following phenomena listed below is an accurate
statement about axonal transport?
A) Anterograde and retrograde axonal transport allow for the communication of nerve
impulses between the neuron and the central nervous system (CNS).
B) Materials can be transported to the nerve terminal by either a fast or slow
component.
C) The unidirectional nature of the axonal transport system protects the CNS against
potential pathogens.
D) Axonal transport facilitates the movement of electrical impulses but precludes the
transport of molecular materials. - correct answer Materials can be transported to the
nerve terminal by either a fast or slow component.
1. During a late night study session, a pathophysiology student reaches out to turn the
page of her textbook. Which of the following components of her nervous system
contains the highest level of control of her arm and hand action?
Cerebellum
Thalamus
Basal ganglia
Frontal lobe - correct answer Frontal lobe
1. While assessing a critically ill patient in the emergency department, the nurse notes
on the cardiac monitor an R-on-T premature ventricular beat that develops into
ventricular tachycardia (VT). Immediately, the patient became unresponsive. The nurse
knows that based on pathophysiologic principles, the most likely cause of the
unresponsiveness is
A) metabolic acidosis that occurs spontaneously following any dysrhythmias.
B) interruption of the blood/oxygen supply to the brain.
C) massive cerebrovascular accident (CVA) resulting from increased perfusion.
D) a blood clot coming from the heart and occluding the carotid arteries. - correct
answer interruption of the blood/oxygen supply to the brain.
A 22-year-old female college student is shocked to receive a diagnosis of myasthenia
gravis. What are the etiology and most likely treatment for her health problem?
A) Autoimmune destruction of skeletal muscle cells; treatment with intensive physical
therapy and anabolic steroids
B) A decline in functioning acetylcholine receptors; treatment with corticosteroids and
intravenous immunoglobulins
C) Cerebellar lesions; surgical and immunosuppressive treatment
Following a car accident of a male teenager who did not have his seatbelt on, he arrived
in the emergency department with a traumatic brain injury. He has severe cerebral
edema following emergent craniotomy. Throughout the night, the nurse has been
monitoring and reporting changes in his assessment. Which of the following
assessments correspond to a supratentorial herniation that has progressed to include
midbrain involvement? Select all that apply.
A) Clouding of consciousness
B) Decorticate posturing with painful stimulation
C) Pupils fixed at approximately 5 mm in diameter
D) Respiration rate of 40 breaths/minute
E) Decerebrate posturing following painful stimulation of the sternum - correct answer
C) Pupils fixed at approximately 5 mm in diameter
D) Respiration rate of 40 breaths/minute
E) Decerebrate posturing following painful stimulation of the sternum
1. A patient in the intensive care unit who has a brain tumor has experienced a sharp
decline. The care team suspects that water and protein have crossed the blood brain
barrier and been transferred from the vascular space into the client's interstitial space.
Which of the following diagnoses best captures this pathophysiology?
Focal hypoxia
Cytotoxic edema
Hydrocephalus
Vasogenic edema - correct answer Vasogenic edema
1. A clinician is conducting an assessment of a male client suspected of having a
disorder of motor function. Which of the following assessment findings would suggest a
possible upper motor neuron (UMN) lesion?
A) The client has decreased deep tendon reflexes.
B) The client displays increased muscle tone.
C) The client's muscles appear atrophied.
D) The client displays weakness in the distal portions of his limbs. - correct answer The
client displays increased muscle tone.
1. Following a motor vehicle accident 3 months prior, a 20-year-old female who has
been in a coma since her accident has now had her condition declared a persistent
vegetative state. How can her care providers most accurately explain an aspect of her
situation to her parents?
A) Your daughter has lost all her cognitive functions as well as all her basic reflexes.
B) Though she still goes through a cycle of sleeping and waking, her condition is
unlikely to change.
C) If you or the care team notices any spontaneous eye opening, then we will change
our treatment plan.
, D) Your daughter's condition is an unfortunate combination with total loss of
consciousness but continuation of all other normal brain functions. - correct answer
Though she still goes through a cycle of sleeping and waking, her condition is unlikely to
change.
1. Which of the following diagnostic findings is likely to result in the most serious brain
insult?
A) Mean arterial pressure (MAP) that equals intracranial pressure (ICP)
B) Moderate decrease in brain tissue volume secondary to a brain tumor removal
C) Increased ICP accompanied by hyperventilation
D) High intracellular concentration of glutamate - correct answer Mean arterial pressure
(MAP) that equals intracranial pressure (ICP)
1. The unique clinical presentation of a 3-month-old infant in the emergency department
leads the care team to suspect botulism. Which of the following assessment questions
posed to the parents is likely to be most useful in the differential diagnosis?
A) Have you ever given your child any honey or honey-containing products?
B) Is there any family history of neuromuscular diseases?
C) Has your baby ever been directly exposed to any chemical cleaning products?
D) Is there any mold in your home that you know of? - correct answer Have you ever
given your child any honey or honey-containing products?
When reviewing the purpose/action of neurotransmitters as they interact with different
receptors, the nursing instructor gives an example using acetylcholine. When
acetylcholine is released at the sinoatrial node in the right atrium of the heart, it is
A) positively charged.
B) inhibitory.
C) overstimulated.
D) dormant. - correct answer inhibitory
A toddler is displaying signs and symptoms of weakness and muscle atrophy. The
pediatric neurologist suspects it may be a lower motor neuron disease called spinal
muscular atrophy (SMA). The patient's family asks how he got this. The nurse will
respond
A) This could result from playing in soil and then ingesting bacteria that are now
attacking his motor neurons.
B) No one really knows how this disease is formed. We just know that in time, he may
grow out of it.
C) This is a degenerative disorder that tends to be inherited as an autosomal recessive
trait.
D) This is a segmental demyelination disorder that affects all nerve roots and eventually
all muscle groups as well. - correct answer This is a degenerative disorder that tends to
be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.
, A child is experiencing difficulty with chewing and swallowing. The nurse knows that
which of the following cells may be innervating specialized gut-related receptors that
provide taste and smell?
A) Special somatic afferent fibers
B) General somatic afferents
C) Special visceral afferent cells
D) General visceral afferent neurons - correct answer Special visceral afferent cells
The nurse knows which of the following phenomena listed below is an accurate
statement about axonal transport?
A) Anterograde and retrograde axonal transport allow for the communication of nerve
impulses between the neuron and the central nervous system (CNS).
B) Materials can be transported to the nerve terminal by either a fast or slow
component.
C) The unidirectional nature of the axonal transport system protects the CNS against
potential pathogens.
D) Axonal transport facilitates the movement of electrical impulses but precludes the
transport of molecular materials. - correct answer Materials can be transported to the
nerve terminal by either a fast or slow component.
1. During a late night study session, a pathophysiology student reaches out to turn the
page of her textbook. Which of the following components of her nervous system
contains the highest level of control of her arm and hand action?
Cerebellum
Thalamus
Basal ganglia
Frontal lobe - correct answer Frontal lobe
1. While assessing a critically ill patient in the emergency department, the nurse notes
on the cardiac monitor an R-on-T premature ventricular beat that develops into
ventricular tachycardia (VT). Immediately, the patient became unresponsive. The nurse
knows that based on pathophysiologic principles, the most likely cause of the
unresponsiveness is
A) metabolic acidosis that occurs spontaneously following any dysrhythmias.
B) interruption of the blood/oxygen supply to the brain.
C) massive cerebrovascular accident (CVA) resulting from increased perfusion.
D) a blood clot coming from the heart and occluding the carotid arteries. - correct
answer interruption of the blood/oxygen supply to the brain.
A 22-year-old female college student is shocked to receive a diagnosis of myasthenia
gravis. What are the etiology and most likely treatment for her health problem?
A) Autoimmune destruction of skeletal muscle cells; treatment with intensive physical
therapy and anabolic steroids
B) A decline in functioning acetylcholine receptors; treatment with corticosteroids and
intravenous immunoglobulins
C) Cerebellar lesions; surgical and immunosuppressive treatment
