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NUR 550 DREXEL HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Midterm 2025| Brand New Exam Questions
With Correct Answers
A grandmother brings her 13-year-old grandson to you for evaluation. She noticed last week when he
took off his shirt that his breastbone seemed collapsed. He seems embarrassed and tells you that it has
been that way for quite a while. He states he has no symptoms from it and he just tries not to take off
his shirt in front of anyone. He denies any shortness of breath, chest pain, or lightheadedness on
exertion. His past medical history is unremarkable. He is in sixth grade and just moved in with his
grandmother after his father was deployed to the Middle East. His mother died several years ago in a car
accident. He states that he does not smoke and has never touched alcohol. On examination you see a
teenage boy appearing his stated age. On visual examination of his chest you see that the lower portion
of the sternum is depressed. Auscultation of the lungs and heart are unremarkable.
What disorder of the thorax best d - Correct-answer-A. Funnel chest (pectus excavatum)
A 25-year-old accountant presents to your clinic, complaining of intermittent lower right-sided chest
pain for several days. He describes it as knifelike and states it only lasts for 3 to 5 seconds, taking his
breath away. He states he feels like he has to breathe shallowly to keep it from recurring. The only thing
that makes it better is lying quietly on his right side. It is much worse when he takes a deep breath. He
has taken some Tylenol and put a heating pad on his side but neither has helped. He remembers that 2
weeks ago he had an upper respiratory infection with a severe hacking cough. He denies any recent
trauma. His past medical history is unremarkable. His parents and siblings are in good health. He has
recently married, and his wife has a baby due in 2 months. He denies any smoking or illegal drug use. He
drinks two to three beers once a month. He states that he eats a healthy diet and runs regularly, but -
Correct-answer-A. Pleural pain
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A 62-year-old construction worker presents to your clinic, complaining of almost a year of chronic cough
and occasional shortness of breath. Although he has had worsening of symptoms occasionally with a
cold, his symptoms have stayed about the same. The cough has occasional mucous drainage but never
any blood. He denies any chest pain. He has had no weight gain, weight loss, fever, or night sweats. His
past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and arthritis. He has smoked two packs a day
for the past 45 years. He drinks occasionally but denies any illegal drug use. He is married and has two
children. He denies any foreign travel. His father died of a heart attack and his mother died of
Alzheimer's disease. On examination you see a man looking slightly older than his stated age. His blood
pressure is 130/80 and his pulse is 88. He is breathing comfortably with respirations of 12. His head,
eyes, ears - Correct-answer-D. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
When crackles, wheezes, or rhonchi clear with a cough, which of the following is a likely etiology?
A. Heart failure
B. Bronchitis
C. Simple asthma
D. Cystic fibrosis - Correct-answer-B. Bronchitis
Which of the following percussion notes would you obtain over the gastric bubble?
A. Hyperresonance
B. Flatness
C. Resonance
D. Tympany - Correct-answer-D. Tympany
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A 76-year-old retired farmer comes to your office complaining of abdominal pain, constipation, and a
low-grade fever for about 3 days. He denies any nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. The only unusual thing
he remembers eating is two bags of popcorn at the movies with his grandson, 3 days before his
symptoms began. He denies any other recent illnesses. His past medical history is significant for
coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. He has been married for over 50 years. He denies any
tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. His mother died of colon cancer and his father had a stroke. On
examination he appears his stated age and is in no acute distress. His temperature is 100.9 degrees and
his other vital signs are unremarkable. His head, cardiac, and pulmonary examinations are normal. He
has normal bowel sounds and is tender over the left lower quadrant. He has no rebound or guarding. His
rectal examination is unremark - Correct-answer-B. Acute diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is caused by localized infections within the colonic diverticula. Constipation, fever, and
abdominal pain are common. Mesenteric ischemia classically presents in older people with a history of
vascular disease elsewhere. The typical pain is unusual in that it is not made worse by examination
despite being severe. Some mistake this feature to indicate malingering, with bad results.
Chris is a 20-year-old college student who has had abdominal pain for 3 days. It started at his umbilicus
and was associated with nausea and vomiting. He was unable to find a comfortable position. Yesterday,
the pain became more severe and constant. Now, he hesitates to walk, because any motion makes the
pain much worse. It is localized just medial and inferior to his iliac crest on the right. Which of the
following is most likely?
A. Peptic ulcer
B. Cholecystitis
C. Pancreatitis
D. Appendicitis - Correct-answer-D. Appendicitis
This is a classic history for appendicitis. Notice that the pain has changed from visceral to parietal. It is
well localized to the right lower quadrant, making appendicitis a strong consideration.
NUR 550 DREXEL HEALTH ASSESSMENT
Midterm 2025| Brand New Exam Questions
With Correct Answers
A grandmother brings her 13-year-old grandson to you for evaluation. She noticed last week when he
took off his shirt that his breastbone seemed collapsed. He seems embarrassed and tells you that it has
been that way for quite a while. He states he has no symptoms from it and he just tries not to take off
his shirt in front of anyone. He denies any shortness of breath, chest pain, or lightheadedness on
exertion. His past medical history is unremarkable. He is in sixth grade and just moved in with his
grandmother after his father was deployed to the Middle East. His mother died several years ago in a car
accident. He states that he does not smoke and has never touched alcohol. On examination you see a
teenage boy appearing his stated age. On visual examination of his chest you see that the lower portion
of the sternum is depressed. Auscultation of the lungs and heart are unremarkable.
What disorder of the thorax best d - Correct-answer-A. Funnel chest (pectus excavatum)
A 25-year-old accountant presents to your clinic, complaining of intermittent lower right-sided chest
pain for several days. He describes it as knifelike and states it only lasts for 3 to 5 seconds, taking his
breath away. He states he feels like he has to breathe shallowly to keep it from recurring. The only thing
that makes it better is lying quietly on his right side. It is much worse when he takes a deep breath. He
has taken some Tylenol and put a heating pad on his side but neither has helped. He remembers that 2
weeks ago he had an upper respiratory infection with a severe hacking cough. He denies any recent
trauma. His past medical history is unremarkable. His parents and siblings are in good health. He has
recently married, and his wife has a baby due in 2 months. He denies any smoking or illegal drug use. He
drinks two to three beers once a month. He states that he eats a healthy diet and runs regularly, but -
Correct-answer-A. Pleural pain
,2|Page
A 62-year-old construction worker presents to your clinic, complaining of almost a year of chronic cough
and occasional shortness of breath. Although he has had worsening of symptoms occasionally with a
cold, his symptoms have stayed about the same. The cough has occasional mucous drainage but never
any blood. He denies any chest pain. He has had no weight gain, weight loss, fever, or night sweats. His
past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and arthritis. He has smoked two packs a day
for the past 45 years. He drinks occasionally but denies any illegal drug use. He is married and has two
children. He denies any foreign travel. His father died of a heart attack and his mother died of
Alzheimer's disease. On examination you see a man looking slightly older than his stated age. His blood
pressure is 130/80 and his pulse is 88. He is breathing comfortably with respirations of 12. His head,
eyes, ears - Correct-answer-D. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
When crackles, wheezes, or rhonchi clear with a cough, which of the following is a likely etiology?
A. Heart failure
B. Bronchitis
C. Simple asthma
D. Cystic fibrosis - Correct-answer-B. Bronchitis
Which of the following percussion notes would you obtain over the gastric bubble?
A. Hyperresonance
B. Flatness
C. Resonance
D. Tympany - Correct-answer-D. Tympany
, 3|Page
A 76-year-old retired farmer comes to your office complaining of abdominal pain, constipation, and a
low-grade fever for about 3 days. He denies any nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. The only unusual thing
he remembers eating is two bags of popcorn at the movies with his grandson, 3 days before his
symptoms began. He denies any other recent illnesses. His past medical history is significant for
coronary artery disease and high blood pressure. He has been married for over 50 years. He denies any
tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. His mother died of colon cancer and his father had a stroke. On
examination he appears his stated age and is in no acute distress. His temperature is 100.9 degrees and
his other vital signs are unremarkable. His head, cardiac, and pulmonary examinations are normal. He
has normal bowel sounds and is tender over the left lower quadrant. He has no rebound or guarding. His
rectal examination is unremark - Correct-answer-B. Acute diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is caused by localized infections within the colonic diverticula. Constipation, fever, and
abdominal pain are common. Mesenteric ischemia classically presents in older people with a history of
vascular disease elsewhere. The typical pain is unusual in that it is not made worse by examination
despite being severe. Some mistake this feature to indicate malingering, with bad results.
Chris is a 20-year-old college student who has had abdominal pain for 3 days. It started at his umbilicus
and was associated with nausea and vomiting. He was unable to find a comfortable position. Yesterday,
the pain became more severe and constant. Now, he hesitates to walk, because any motion makes the
pain much worse. It is localized just medial and inferior to his iliac crest on the right. Which of the
following is most likely?
A. Peptic ulcer
B. Cholecystitis
C. Pancreatitis
D. Appendicitis - Correct-answer-D. Appendicitis
This is a classic history for appendicitis. Notice that the pain has changed from visceral to parietal. It is
well localized to the right lower quadrant, making appendicitis a strong consideration.
