NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
MIDTERM EXAM 2024/2025 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
A patient presents for evaluation of a sharp, aching chest pain which increases with
breathing. Which anatomic area would you localize the symptom to?
A) Musculoskeletal
B) Reproductive
C) Urinary
D) Endocrine
A) Musculoskeletal
Chest pain may be due to a musculoskeletal condition, such as costochondritis or
intercostal muscle cramp. This would be worsened by motion of the chest wall.
Pleuritic chest pain is also a sharp chest pain which increases with a deep breath.
This type of pain can
occur with inflammation of the pleura from pneumonia or other conditions and
pulmonary
embolus.
,NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
A patient comes to the emergency room for evaluation of shortness of breath. To
which anatomic region would you assign the symptom?
A) Reproductive
B) Urinary
C) Cardiac
D) Hematologic
C) Cardiac
Cardiac disorders such as congestive heart failure are the most likely on this list to
result in shortness of breath. There are cases within the other categories which may
also result
in shortness of breath, such as anemia in the hematologic category, pregnancy in
the reproductive
category, or sepsis with UTI in the urinary category.
A patient presents for evaluation of a cough. Which of the following anatomic
regions can be responsible for a cough?
A) Ophthalmologic
B) Auditory
C) Cardiac
D) Endocrine
,NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
C) Cardiac
The cardiac system can cause a cough if the patient has congestive heart failure.
This results in fluid buildup in the lungs, which in turn can cause a cough that
produces pink,
frothy sputum. A foreign body in the ear may also cause a cough by stimulating
Arnold's branch of the vagus nerve, but this is less likely to be seen clinically than
heart failure.
A 22-year-old advertising copywriter presents for evaluation of joint pain. The
pain is new,
located in the wrists and fingers bilaterally, with some subjective fever. The patient
denies a
rash; she also denies recent travel or camping activities. She has a family history
significant for
rheumatoid arthritis. Based on this information, which of the following pathologic
processes
would be the most correct?
A) Infectious
B) Inflammatory
C) Hematologic
D) Traumatic
, NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
B) Inflammatory
The description is most consistent with an inflammatory process, although all the
other etiologies should be considered. Lyme disease is an infection which
commonly causes
arthritis, hemophilia is a hematologic condition which can cause bleeding in the
joints, and trauma can obviously cause joint pain.
A 47-year-old contractor presents for evaluation of neck pain, which has been
intermittent for several years. He normally takes over-the-counter medications to
ease the pain, but this time they haven't worked as well and he still has discomfort.
He recently wallpapered the entire second floor in his house, which caused him
great discomfort. The pain resolved with rest. He denies fever, chills, rash, upper
respiratory symptoms, trauma, or injury to the neck. Based on this description,
what is the most likely pathologic process?
A) Infectious
B) Neoplastic
C) Degenerative
D) Traumatic
C) Degenerative
The description is most consistent with degenerative arthritis in the neck. The
patient has had intermittent symptoms and the questions asked to elicit pertinent
negative and
NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
MIDTERM EXAM 2024/2025 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
A patient presents for evaluation of a sharp, aching chest pain which increases with
breathing. Which anatomic area would you localize the symptom to?
A) Musculoskeletal
B) Reproductive
C) Urinary
D) Endocrine
A) Musculoskeletal
Chest pain may be due to a musculoskeletal condition, such as costochondritis or
intercostal muscle cramp. This would be worsened by motion of the chest wall.
Pleuritic chest pain is also a sharp chest pain which increases with a deep breath.
This type of pain can
occur with inflammation of the pleura from pneumonia or other conditions and
pulmonary
embolus.
,NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
A patient comes to the emergency room for evaluation of shortness of breath. To
which anatomic region would you assign the symptom?
A) Reproductive
B) Urinary
C) Cardiac
D) Hematologic
C) Cardiac
Cardiac disorders such as congestive heart failure are the most likely on this list to
result in shortness of breath. There are cases within the other categories which may
also result
in shortness of breath, such as anemia in the hematologic category, pregnancy in
the reproductive
category, or sepsis with UTI in the urinary category.
A patient presents for evaluation of a cough. Which of the following anatomic
regions can be responsible for a cough?
A) Ophthalmologic
B) Auditory
C) Cardiac
D) Endocrine
,NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
C) Cardiac
The cardiac system can cause a cough if the patient has congestive heart failure.
This results in fluid buildup in the lungs, which in turn can cause a cough that
produces pink,
frothy sputum. A foreign body in the ear may also cause a cough by stimulating
Arnold's branch of the vagus nerve, but this is less likely to be seen clinically than
heart failure.
A 22-year-old advertising copywriter presents for evaluation of joint pain. The
pain is new,
located in the wrists and fingers bilaterally, with some subjective fever. The patient
denies a
rash; she also denies recent travel or camping activities. She has a family history
significant for
rheumatoid arthritis. Based on this information, which of the following pathologic
processes
would be the most correct?
A) Infectious
B) Inflammatory
C) Hematologic
D) Traumatic
, NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
B) Inflammatory
The description is most consistent with an inflammatory process, although all the
other etiologies should be considered. Lyme disease is an infection which
commonly causes
arthritis, hemophilia is a hematologic condition which can cause bleeding in the
joints, and trauma can obviously cause joint pain.
A 47-year-old contractor presents for evaluation of neck pain, which has been
intermittent for several years. He normally takes over-the-counter medications to
ease the pain, but this time they haven't worked as well and he still has discomfort.
He recently wallpapered the entire second floor in his house, which caused him
great discomfort. The pain resolved with rest. He denies fever, chills, rash, upper
respiratory symptoms, trauma, or injury to the neck. Based on this description,
what is the most likely pathologic process?
A) Infectious
B) Neoplastic
C) Degenerative
D) Traumatic
C) Degenerative
The description is most consistent with degenerative arthritis in the neck. The
patient has had intermittent symptoms and the questions asked to elicit pertinent
negative and
