NURS 535 Practice Exam Questions with
Verified Answers
What are s/s of pulmonary disease? - ✔✔• Dyspnea and cough
• Altered breathing
patterns
• Hyperventilation
• Hypoventilation
• Hemoptysis
• Abnormal sputum
• Cyanosis
• Chest pain
• Clubbing
What is dyspnea? - ✔✔Subjective sensation of uncomfortable breathing
How is severe dyspnea characterized? - ✔✔• Flaring of the nostrils
• Use of accessory muscles of respiration
• Retraction of the intercostal spaces
How is dyspnea on exertion characterized? - ✔✔Shortness of breath with activity
What is orthopnea? - ✔✔Dyspnea when lying down
What is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea? - ✔✔Awaking at night and gasping for air; must sit up
or stand up
,How long is an acute cough? - ✔✔Resolves within 2 to 3 weeks
How long is a chronic cough? - ✔✔Lasts longer than 3 weeks
What is a cough? - ✔✔Protective reflex that helps clear the airways by an
explosive expiration
How is abnormal sputum? - ✔✔Changes in amount, consistency, color, and odor provide
information about the progression of
disease and the effectiveness of therapy.
What is hemoptysis? - ✔✔Coughing up blood or bloody secretions
What is the benefit of abnormal breathing patterns? - ✔✔Adjustments made by the body to
minimize the work of the respiratory muscles
What are Kussmaul respirations? - ✔✔Slightly increased ventilatory rate, very large tidal
volume, and no expiratory pause
What is labored breathing? - ✔✔Increased work of breathing
What is restricted breathing? - ✔✔Disorders that stiffen the lungs or chest wall and
decrease compliance
What are Cheyne-Stokes respirations? - ✔✔Alternating periods of deep and shallow breathing;
apnea lasting 15 to 60 seconds, followed by
ventilations that increase in volume until a peak is reached, after which ventilation decreases
again to apnea
, What is hypoventilation? - ✔✔Alveolar ventilation is
inadequate in relationship to the metabolic demands. Leads to respiratory acidosis from
hypercapnia.
What causes hypoventilation? - ✔✔airway obstruction,
chest wall restriction, or altered neurologic control of breathing
What is hyperventilation? - ✔✔Alveolar ventilation exceeds the metabolic demands. Leads to
respiratory alkalosis
from hypocapnia
What causes hyperventilation? - ✔✔anxiety, head injury, or severe hypoxemia
What is cyanosis? - ✔✔Bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous
membranes
When does cyanosis develop? - ✔✔when have five grams of desaturated
hemoglobin, regardless of concentration
What is peripheral cyanosis? - ✔✔poor circulation observed best in the nail beds
What is central cyanosis? - ✔✔decreased arterial oxygenation best observed in buccal mucous
membranes and lips
What is clubbing? - ✔✔the selective bulbous enlargement of the end (distal segment) of a digit
(finger or toe) whose severity can be graded from 1 to 5 based on the extent of nail bed
hypertrophy and the amount of changes in the nails themselves.
Verified Answers
What are s/s of pulmonary disease? - ✔✔• Dyspnea and cough
• Altered breathing
patterns
• Hyperventilation
• Hypoventilation
• Hemoptysis
• Abnormal sputum
• Cyanosis
• Chest pain
• Clubbing
What is dyspnea? - ✔✔Subjective sensation of uncomfortable breathing
How is severe dyspnea characterized? - ✔✔• Flaring of the nostrils
• Use of accessory muscles of respiration
• Retraction of the intercostal spaces
How is dyspnea on exertion characterized? - ✔✔Shortness of breath with activity
What is orthopnea? - ✔✔Dyspnea when lying down
What is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea? - ✔✔Awaking at night and gasping for air; must sit up
or stand up
,How long is an acute cough? - ✔✔Resolves within 2 to 3 weeks
How long is a chronic cough? - ✔✔Lasts longer than 3 weeks
What is a cough? - ✔✔Protective reflex that helps clear the airways by an
explosive expiration
How is abnormal sputum? - ✔✔Changes in amount, consistency, color, and odor provide
information about the progression of
disease and the effectiveness of therapy.
What is hemoptysis? - ✔✔Coughing up blood or bloody secretions
What is the benefit of abnormal breathing patterns? - ✔✔Adjustments made by the body to
minimize the work of the respiratory muscles
What are Kussmaul respirations? - ✔✔Slightly increased ventilatory rate, very large tidal
volume, and no expiratory pause
What is labored breathing? - ✔✔Increased work of breathing
What is restricted breathing? - ✔✔Disorders that stiffen the lungs or chest wall and
decrease compliance
What are Cheyne-Stokes respirations? - ✔✔Alternating periods of deep and shallow breathing;
apnea lasting 15 to 60 seconds, followed by
ventilations that increase in volume until a peak is reached, after which ventilation decreases
again to apnea
, What is hypoventilation? - ✔✔Alveolar ventilation is
inadequate in relationship to the metabolic demands. Leads to respiratory acidosis from
hypercapnia.
What causes hypoventilation? - ✔✔airway obstruction,
chest wall restriction, or altered neurologic control of breathing
What is hyperventilation? - ✔✔Alveolar ventilation exceeds the metabolic demands. Leads to
respiratory alkalosis
from hypocapnia
What causes hyperventilation? - ✔✔anxiety, head injury, or severe hypoxemia
What is cyanosis? - ✔✔Bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous
membranes
When does cyanosis develop? - ✔✔when have five grams of desaturated
hemoglobin, regardless of concentration
What is peripheral cyanosis? - ✔✔poor circulation observed best in the nail beds
What is central cyanosis? - ✔✔decreased arterial oxygenation best observed in buccal mucous
membranes and lips
What is clubbing? - ✔✔the selective bulbous enlargement of the end (distal segment) of a digit
(finger or toe) whose severity can be graded from 1 to 5 based on the extent of nail bed
hypertrophy and the amount of changes in the nails themselves.
