NURS 347 EXAM 3 UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
What is the coastal angle and what measurement should it be? What if it is larger? - CORRECT
ANSWER - The coastal angle is where the right and left coastal margins of the ribs form
an angle where they meet at the xiphoid process. It shold be less than 90 degrees. A larger
coastal angle indicates a barrel chest and is usually associated with emphysema.
What organs lie in the mediastinum? - CORRECT ANSWER - esophagus, trachea, heart,
and great vessels
In anterior chest, the lung tissue extends how far above the inner third of clavicles? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 3-4 cm
____________ holds the lungs tightly against the chest wall. - CORRECT ANSWER -
pleurae
What are the primary respiratory muscles? - CORRECT ANSWER - Intercostals and
diaphragm
When your patient tells you that they are awakened during sleep due to shortness of breath you
suspect what condition? - CORRECT ANSWER - Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
Describe the respiratory of infants. How do you know if they are in distress? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Infants are obligatory nose breathers ( to aid in breastfeeding) and you will
see nasal flaring when they are in respiratory distress.
When percussing the lungs you would expect to hear __________ - CORRECT
ANSWER - Resonance
, What would you expect to find on a normal lung assessment? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Symmetric chest expansion, resonant percussion sounds, vesicular lung sounds in the peripheral
lung fields, muffled voice sounds and no adventitious lung sounds
five auscultatory areas of the heart - CORRECT ANSWER - 1. Aortic 2. Pulmonic 3.
Erbs point 4. Tricuspid 5. Mitral
A primary prevention for reducing a 60 year old female patient's risk of developing coronary
heart disease is... - CORRECT ANSWER - Take 81mg of aspirin every day if no GI bleed
risk
Your 80 year old female patient with no cardiac history has a blood pressure of 135/85. She is
worried that is too high. What do you tell her about the normal hemodynamic changes associated
with aging? What can she do to enhance her cardiovascular system? - CORRECT
ANSWER - As a person ages there is an increase in systolic BP due to stiffening and
thickening of arteries caused by calcium and collagen deposits and the arteries are less
compliant. Aerobic exercise will modify many of the changes associated with an aging
cardiovascular system.
Describe the blood flow through the heart - CORRECT ANSWER - From superior vena
cava to Right atrium- right ventricle -pulmonary artery -lungs- pulmonary vein- left atrium - left
ventricle-to the body
You hear what you think is a murmur. What qualities are important to assess and document? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Frequency (pitch), Intensity (loudness), duration and timing (at
diastole or systole)
When listening to heart sounds, S1 is best heard... - CORRECT ANSWER - At the apex
of the heart
Which valves do you hear best at the base of the heart? - CORRECT ANSWER - Aortic
and pulmonic
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
What is the coastal angle and what measurement should it be? What if it is larger? - CORRECT
ANSWER - The coastal angle is where the right and left coastal margins of the ribs form
an angle where they meet at the xiphoid process. It shold be less than 90 degrees. A larger
coastal angle indicates a barrel chest and is usually associated with emphysema.
What organs lie in the mediastinum? - CORRECT ANSWER - esophagus, trachea, heart,
and great vessels
In anterior chest, the lung tissue extends how far above the inner third of clavicles? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 3-4 cm
____________ holds the lungs tightly against the chest wall. - CORRECT ANSWER -
pleurae
What are the primary respiratory muscles? - CORRECT ANSWER - Intercostals and
diaphragm
When your patient tells you that they are awakened during sleep due to shortness of breath you
suspect what condition? - CORRECT ANSWER - Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
Describe the respiratory of infants. How do you know if they are in distress? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Infants are obligatory nose breathers ( to aid in breastfeeding) and you will
see nasal flaring when they are in respiratory distress.
When percussing the lungs you would expect to hear __________ - CORRECT
ANSWER - Resonance
, What would you expect to find on a normal lung assessment? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Symmetric chest expansion, resonant percussion sounds, vesicular lung sounds in the peripheral
lung fields, muffled voice sounds and no adventitious lung sounds
five auscultatory areas of the heart - CORRECT ANSWER - 1. Aortic 2. Pulmonic 3.
Erbs point 4. Tricuspid 5. Mitral
A primary prevention for reducing a 60 year old female patient's risk of developing coronary
heart disease is... - CORRECT ANSWER - Take 81mg of aspirin every day if no GI bleed
risk
Your 80 year old female patient with no cardiac history has a blood pressure of 135/85. She is
worried that is too high. What do you tell her about the normal hemodynamic changes associated
with aging? What can she do to enhance her cardiovascular system? - CORRECT
ANSWER - As a person ages there is an increase in systolic BP due to stiffening and
thickening of arteries caused by calcium and collagen deposits and the arteries are less
compliant. Aerobic exercise will modify many of the changes associated with an aging
cardiovascular system.
Describe the blood flow through the heart - CORRECT ANSWER - From superior vena
cava to Right atrium- right ventricle -pulmonary artery -lungs- pulmonary vein- left atrium - left
ventricle-to the body
You hear what you think is a murmur. What qualities are important to assess and document? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Frequency (pitch), Intensity (loudness), duration and timing (at
diastole or systole)
When listening to heart sounds, S1 is best heard... - CORRECT ANSWER - At the apex
of the heart
Which valves do you hear best at the base of the heart? - CORRECT ANSWER - Aortic
and pulmonic
