(GALEN)NUR 242 Med Surg Exam 3questions and
answers 2025-2026 update
What is ventilation? - ✔✔ANS the movement of air into and out of the lungs
What is perfusion? - ✔✔ANS the circulation of blood through the lungs
What are central chemoreceptors responsive to? - ✔✔ANS increased H+ in the brain ECF;
increased PaCO2;
"hypercarbic drive"
What are peripheral chemoreceptors responsive to? - ✔✔ANS decreased pH;
increased PaCO2;
decreased PaO2;
"hypoxic drive"
What are elastic forces? - ✔✔ANS lungs recoil due to elastin, collagen, fibrin
What are surface forces? - ✔✔ANS surface tension due to water-air interface
What is airway resistance? - ✔✔ANS opposition to flow caused by the forces of friction; primarily
determined by airway radius
What is the distensibility of the lungs? - ✔✔ANS ease with which the lungs can be inflated
What is lung distensibility increased in? - ✔✔ANS neonates and children;
emphysema
,What is lung distensibility decreased in? - ✔✔ANS elderly;
pneumonia, pulmonary edema, ARDS, atelectasis, fibrosis
What is surfactant? - ✔✔ANS complex substance lining the alveoli and smallest bronchioles containing
phospholipids and a number of apoproteins which reduces surface tension throughout the lungs, thereb
contributing to its general compliance;
stabilizes the alveoli and keeps them dry
What produces surfactant? - ✔✔ANS produced by the Type II alveolar cells
What is Ohm's law? - ✔✔ANS velocity = driving force/resistance
What is Poiseuille law? - ✔✔ANS resistance = (8 x viscosity x length) / (pi x radius^4)
What happens if the radius in the lungs goes down? - ✔✔ANS the resistance goes up
How is the ventilation distributed in the lungs? - ✔✔ANS the top of the lungs are more distended and les
compliant whereas the lower lung is small and highly compliant
What factors affect lung perfusion? - ✔✔ANS lung capacitance;
low resistance system;
flow influenced by gravity;
resistance primarily determined by vessel radius
What does hypoxia lead to? - ✔✔ANS vasoconstriction of pulmonary vessels
What does prolonged hypoxia lead to? - ✔✔ANS pulmonary hypertension
What factors affect alveolar-capillary diffusion? - ✔✔ANS capillary permeability;
surface area available for diffusion;
concentration gradient for the gas;
distance for diffusion
,What causes right shifts (decreased affinity) in Hemoglobin-O2 affinity? - ✔✔ANS acidemia;
hyperthermia;
hypercarbia
What causes left shifts (increased affinity) in Hemoglobin-O2 affinity? - ✔✔ANS alkalemia;
hypothermia;
hypocarbia
What is hypoxemia? - ✔✔ANS deficient blood oxygen;
low PaO2;
low O2 saturation
What is hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen
What is hypoxic hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased respirations
What is anemic hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased hemoglobin
What is circulatory hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased blood flow
What is histotoxic hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen caused by increased toxic substance
What is ischemia? - ✔✔ANS greatly reduced or interrupted flow through the arterial system, producing
significant tissue hypoxia
What is hypercapnia? - ✔✔ANS increased level of CO2 in the blood
What are S&S of acute hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS dyspnea; restlessness; palpitations; agitation; headache;
tremors; diaphoresis; respiratory distress; cyanosis; tachypnea; tachycardia; dysrhythmias; hypertension;
lethargy; confusion to coma
What are some effects of hypercapnia? - ✔✔ANS respiratory acidosis (decreased pH from increase in
CO2); lethargy and confusion; increased HR and BP; flushed skin; arrhythmias; seizures; coma; death
, What is dyspnea? - ✔✔ANS subjective feeling of being SOB
What does dyspnea lead to? - ✔✔ANS decreased sense of wellness which may cause psychological and
social consequences
What is the leading cause of cancer death? - ✔✔ANS lung cancer
What is lung cancer most likely caused by? - ✔✔ANS cigarette smoking;
asbestos;
familial predisposition
What are the manifestations of lung cancer? - ✔✔ANS cough, hemoptysis (blood in cough sputum);
hoarseness;
chest pain;
often disseminated (spread widely) at time of diagnosis
What are the types of bronchogenic carcinomas? - ✔✔ANS squamous cell lung carcinoma (25-40%);
adenocarcinoma (20-40%);
small cell carcinoma (20-25%);
large cell carcinoma (10-15%)
What is acute airway obstruction caused by? - ✔✔ANS foreign body aspiration;
laryngospasm (spontaneous spasm of the vocal cords);
trauma
What is complete acute airway obstruction? - ✔✔ANS inspiratory chest movements but no air movement
tachycardia, cyanosis, rapid progression to unconsciousness
What is partial acute airway obstruction? - ✔✔ANS stridor (harsh vibrating noise), wheezing, dyspnea,
tachypnea, tachycardia, retractions (chest moving inward)
What are some respiratory disorders in children? - ✔✔ANS upper airway infections: viral croup, spasmod
croup, and epiglotitis;
lower airway infections: acute bronchiolitis
answers 2025-2026 update
What is ventilation? - ✔✔ANS the movement of air into and out of the lungs
What is perfusion? - ✔✔ANS the circulation of blood through the lungs
What are central chemoreceptors responsive to? - ✔✔ANS increased H+ in the brain ECF;
increased PaCO2;
"hypercarbic drive"
What are peripheral chemoreceptors responsive to? - ✔✔ANS decreased pH;
increased PaCO2;
decreased PaO2;
"hypoxic drive"
What are elastic forces? - ✔✔ANS lungs recoil due to elastin, collagen, fibrin
What are surface forces? - ✔✔ANS surface tension due to water-air interface
What is airway resistance? - ✔✔ANS opposition to flow caused by the forces of friction; primarily
determined by airway radius
What is the distensibility of the lungs? - ✔✔ANS ease with which the lungs can be inflated
What is lung distensibility increased in? - ✔✔ANS neonates and children;
emphysema
,What is lung distensibility decreased in? - ✔✔ANS elderly;
pneumonia, pulmonary edema, ARDS, atelectasis, fibrosis
What is surfactant? - ✔✔ANS complex substance lining the alveoli and smallest bronchioles containing
phospholipids and a number of apoproteins which reduces surface tension throughout the lungs, thereb
contributing to its general compliance;
stabilizes the alveoli and keeps them dry
What produces surfactant? - ✔✔ANS produced by the Type II alveolar cells
What is Ohm's law? - ✔✔ANS velocity = driving force/resistance
What is Poiseuille law? - ✔✔ANS resistance = (8 x viscosity x length) / (pi x radius^4)
What happens if the radius in the lungs goes down? - ✔✔ANS the resistance goes up
How is the ventilation distributed in the lungs? - ✔✔ANS the top of the lungs are more distended and les
compliant whereas the lower lung is small and highly compliant
What factors affect lung perfusion? - ✔✔ANS lung capacitance;
low resistance system;
flow influenced by gravity;
resistance primarily determined by vessel radius
What does hypoxia lead to? - ✔✔ANS vasoconstriction of pulmonary vessels
What does prolonged hypoxia lead to? - ✔✔ANS pulmonary hypertension
What factors affect alveolar-capillary diffusion? - ✔✔ANS capillary permeability;
surface area available for diffusion;
concentration gradient for the gas;
distance for diffusion
,What causes right shifts (decreased affinity) in Hemoglobin-O2 affinity? - ✔✔ANS acidemia;
hyperthermia;
hypercarbia
What causes left shifts (increased affinity) in Hemoglobin-O2 affinity? - ✔✔ANS alkalemia;
hypothermia;
hypocarbia
What is hypoxemia? - ✔✔ANS deficient blood oxygen;
low PaO2;
low O2 saturation
What is hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen
What is hypoxic hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased respirations
What is anemic hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased hemoglobin
What is circulatory hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased blood flow
What is histotoxic hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS decreased tissue oxygen caused by increased toxic substance
What is ischemia? - ✔✔ANS greatly reduced or interrupted flow through the arterial system, producing
significant tissue hypoxia
What is hypercapnia? - ✔✔ANS increased level of CO2 in the blood
What are S&S of acute hypoxia? - ✔✔ANS dyspnea; restlessness; palpitations; agitation; headache;
tremors; diaphoresis; respiratory distress; cyanosis; tachypnea; tachycardia; dysrhythmias; hypertension;
lethargy; confusion to coma
What are some effects of hypercapnia? - ✔✔ANS respiratory acidosis (decreased pH from increase in
CO2); lethargy and confusion; increased HR and BP; flushed skin; arrhythmias; seizures; coma; death
, What is dyspnea? - ✔✔ANS subjective feeling of being SOB
What does dyspnea lead to? - ✔✔ANS decreased sense of wellness which may cause psychological and
social consequences
What is the leading cause of cancer death? - ✔✔ANS lung cancer
What is lung cancer most likely caused by? - ✔✔ANS cigarette smoking;
asbestos;
familial predisposition
What are the manifestations of lung cancer? - ✔✔ANS cough, hemoptysis (blood in cough sputum);
hoarseness;
chest pain;
often disseminated (spread widely) at time of diagnosis
What are the types of bronchogenic carcinomas? - ✔✔ANS squamous cell lung carcinoma (25-40%);
adenocarcinoma (20-40%);
small cell carcinoma (20-25%);
large cell carcinoma (10-15%)
What is acute airway obstruction caused by? - ✔✔ANS foreign body aspiration;
laryngospasm (spontaneous spasm of the vocal cords);
trauma
What is complete acute airway obstruction? - ✔✔ANS inspiratory chest movements but no air movement
tachycardia, cyanosis, rapid progression to unconsciousness
What is partial acute airway obstruction? - ✔✔ANS stridor (harsh vibrating noise), wheezing, dyspnea,
tachypnea, tachycardia, retractions (chest moving inward)
What are some respiratory disorders in children? - ✔✔ANS upper airway infections: viral croup, spasmod
croup, and epiglotitis;
lower airway infections: acute bronchiolitis
