NHS 111 LATEST 2026 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Describe the process of blood clotting - ✔✔platelets, chemical proteins causes
platelets to be sticky so they combine with other substances to form a clot - turns to a
scab to stop stuff entering
✔✔What is given to those who's blood clots easily - ✔✔anti-coagulants
✔✔What is caused when tissues are injured - ✔✔inflammation
✔✔what causes swelling? - ✔✔chemicals are released by damaged tissue causing
blood vessels to leak fluid causing swelling
✔✔what is histamine? - ✔✔a compound that is released by cells in response to injury
and in allergic and inflammatory reactions, causing contraction of smooth muscle and
dilation of capillaries.
✔✔When does a fever occur? - ✔✔when the body's thermostat inside the brain raises
above 37 degrees
✔✔what is a rigor? - ✔✔Sudden feeling of cold along with chills and sweating, but high
temperature remains
✔✔What do antibiotic treat? - ✔✔bacterial infections - not human cells or viruses
✔✔What must you ensure with antibiotics - ✔✔finish the full course as it may lead to
resistance
✔✔What is shaken baby syndrome? - ✔✔A serious brain injury resulting from forcefully
shaking an infant or toddler.
✔✔What are the symptoms of shaken baby syndrome? - ✔✔Difficulty Staying Awake
Body Tremors
Difficulty Breathing
Poor Eating or Feeding
Vomiting
Discoloured Skin
Seizures
Coma
Paralysis
✔✔3 signs of frailty - ✔✔Fatigue, reduced activity, weight loss
,✔✔5 risk factors of frailty - ✔✔fall downstairs or less than 1m, 3 or more different
injuries, non stop neck pain, not responding normally, bleeding risks
✔✔What causes cancer? - ✔✔uncontrolled cell division
✔✔Define malignant and benign - ✔✔malignant = a tumor that has spread
benign = a tumor that is only in one area
✔✔What 2 things do you use to assess a heart - ✔✔pulse and blood pressure
✔✔define blood pressure - ✔✔the force of blood in your arteries
✔✔What is diastolic and systolic? - ✔✔diastolic - heart relaxing
systolic - as heart beats
✔✔What is diastolic pressure? - ✔✔elastic recoil, or resting, pressure that blood exerts
constantly between each contraction
✔✔what is the average BPM - ✔✔70-72
✔✔what does adrenaline do? - ✔✔It increases the heart rate, boosting the delivery of
oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles
✔✔What is angina? - ✔✔Insufficient oxygen to the heart muscle causing sudden,
severe substernal pain radiating to the left arm
✔✔What is the main symptom of coronary heart disease? - ✔✔angina
✔✔What increases once a person develops angina? - ✔✔risk of heart attack
✔✔Define a heart attack - ✔✔a sudden loss of blood to the heart muscle resulting in
death of tissue/muscle
✔✔Symptoms of a heart attack - ✔✔pressure/pain in the chest, shoulder pain,
sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, fast pulse, gasping for air
✔✔What does aspirin do? - ✔✔thins blood and dissolves clots
✔✔What is an aortic aneurysm? - ✔✔Weakness and subsequent dilation of the vessel
wall
✔✔List the properties of an artery - ✔✔thick elastic walls to withstand high blood
pressure
, ✔✔What are the most common aneurysms - ✔✔aorta and arteries in the brain
✔✔what does AAA stand for - ✔✔abdominal aortic aneurysm
✔✔what is a thoracic aortic aneurysm - ✔✔an aneurysm that runs through that part of
the aorta in the chest
✔✔what is the most common cause of a thoracic aortic aneurysm? - ✔✔atherosclerosis
✔✔List some common causes of atherosclerosis - ✔✔smoking, high BP, high
cholesterol, obesity
✔✔What is Marfan syndrome? - ✔✔AD disease systemically affecting connective
tissues.
Most commonly skeletal, cardiac, and ocular - weakens layers of aortic wall and
increases risk of aortic aneurysm
✔✔What is it called when an aneurysm develops a tear? - ✔✔a dissection
✔✔what occurs during a dissection? - ✔✔blood leaks between layers of artery wall
✔✔common symptoms of a rupture or dissection - ✔✔shock, cold, grey, sweaty,
constant pain in chest abdo or flank, nausea, vomiting
✔✔What is the nervous system made up of? - ✔✔CNS (central nervous system) and
PNS (peripheral nervous system)
✔✔Define autonomic nervous system - ✔✔the division of the peripheral nervous system
that controls involuntary motor functions
✔✔How is the nervous system protected? - ✔✔Protected by bony cranium
- bone
The Meninges
- Dura mater, Arachnoid mater, Pia mater (three layers of membranes that cover and
protect your brain and spinal cord)
- cerebrospinal fluid to cushion brain and provide energy
All help to insulate and protect NS from shock and injury
✔✔Define unconsciousness - ✔✔State of insensibility in which there is a lack of a
conscious awareness.
✔✔what is the priority when someone is unconscious? - ✔✔airway is open as tongue
may fall back
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Describe the process of blood clotting - ✔✔platelets, chemical proteins causes
platelets to be sticky so they combine with other substances to form a clot - turns to a
scab to stop stuff entering
✔✔What is given to those who's blood clots easily - ✔✔anti-coagulants
✔✔What is caused when tissues are injured - ✔✔inflammation
✔✔what causes swelling? - ✔✔chemicals are released by damaged tissue causing
blood vessels to leak fluid causing swelling
✔✔what is histamine? - ✔✔a compound that is released by cells in response to injury
and in allergic and inflammatory reactions, causing contraction of smooth muscle and
dilation of capillaries.
✔✔When does a fever occur? - ✔✔when the body's thermostat inside the brain raises
above 37 degrees
✔✔what is a rigor? - ✔✔Sudden feeling of cold along with chills and sweating, but high
temperature remains
✔✔What do antibiotic treat? - ✔✔bacterial infections - not human cells or viruses
✔✔What must you ensure with antibiotics - ✔✔finish the full course as it may lead to
resistance
✔✔What is shaken baby syndrome? - ✔✔A serious brain injury resulting from forcefully
shaking an infant or toddler.
✔✔What are the symptoms of shaken baby syndrome? - ✔✔Difficulty Staying Awake
Body Tremors
Difficulty Breathing
Poor Eating or Feeding
Vomiting
Discoloured Skin
Seizures
Coma
Paralysis
✔✔3 signs of frailty - ✔✔Fatigue, reduced activity, weight loss
,✔✔5 risk factors of frailty - ✔✔fall downstairs or less than 1m, 3 or more different
injuries, non stop neck pain, not responding normally, bleeding risks
✔✔What causes cancer? - ✔✔uncontrolled cell division
✔✔Define malignant and benign - ✔✔malignant = a tumor that has spread
benign = a tumor that is only in one area
✔✔What 2 things do you use to assess a heart - ✔✔pulse and blood pressure
✔✔define blood pressure - ✔✔the force of blood in your arteries
✔✔What is diastolic and systolic? - ✔✔diastolic - heart relaxing
systolic - as heart beats
✔✔What is diastolic pressure? - ✔✔elastic recoil, or resting, pressure that blood exerts
constantly between each contraction
✔✔what is the average BPM - ✔✔70-72
✔✔what does adrenaline do? - ✔✔It increases the heart rate, boosting the delivery of
oxygen and glucose to the brain and muscles
✔✔What is angina? - ✔✔Insufficient oxygen to the heart muscle causing sudden,
severe substernal pain radiating to the left arm
✔✔What is the main symptom of coronary heart disease? - ✔✔angina
✔✔What increases once a person develops angina? - ✔✔risk of heart attack
✔✔Define a heart attack - ✔✔a sudden loss of blood to the heart muscle resulting in
death of tissue/muscle
✔✔Symptoms of a heart attack - ✔✔pressure/pain in the chest, shoulder pain,
sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, fast pulse, gasping for air
✔✔What does aspirin do? - ✔✔thins blood and dissolves clots
✔✔What is an aortic aneurysm? - ✔✔Weakness and subsequent dilation of the vessel
wall
✔✔List the properties of an artery - ✔✔thick elastic walls to withstand high blood
pressure
, ✔✔What are the most common aneurysms - ✔✔aorta and arteries in the brain
✔✔what does AAA stand for - ✔✔abdominal aortic aneurysm
✔✔what is a thoracic aortic aneurysm - ✔✔an aneurysm that runs through that part of
the aorta in the chest
✔✔what is the most common cause of a thoracic aortic aneurysm? - ✔✔atherosclerosis
✔✔List some common causes of atherosclerosis - ✔✔smoking, high BP, high
cholesterol, obesity
✔✔What is Marfan syndrome? - ✔✔AD disease systemically affecting connective
tissues.
Most commonly skeletal, cardiac, and ocular - weakens layers of aortic wall and
increases risk of aortic aneurysm
✔✔What is it called when an aneurysm develops a tear? - ✔✔a dissection
✔✔what occurs during a dissection? - ✔✔blood leaks between layers of artery wall
✔✔common symptoms of a rupture or dissection - ✔✔shock, cold, grey, sweaty,
constant pain in chest abdo or flank, nausea, vomiting
✔✔What is the nervous system made up of? - ✔✔CNS (central nervous system) and
PNS (peripheral nervous system)
✔✔Define autonomic nervous system - ✔✔the division of the peripheral nervous system
that controls involuntary motor functions
✔✔How is the nervous system protected? - ✔✔Protected by bony cranium
- bone
The Meninges
- Dura mater, Arachnoid mater, Pia mater (three layers of membranes that cover and
protect your brain and spinal cord)
- cerebrospinal fluid to cushion brain and provide energy
All help to insulate and protect NS from shock and injury
✔✔Define unconsciousness - ✔✔State of insensibility in which there is a lack of a
conscious awareness.
✔✔what is the priority when someone is unconscious? - ✔✔airway is open as tongue
may fall back
