Pathophysiology Exam 1 Practice Problems
UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
A patient is found to have liver disease, resulting in the removal of a lobe of his liver. Adaptation to the reduced size of
the liver leads to ___________ of the remaining liver cells.
A. Metaplasia
B. Organ atrophy
C. Compensatory hyperplasia
D. Physiologic hyperplasia - CORRECT ANSWER C
An older adult patient comes to the clinic complaining of not being able to do what he used to be able to. You know that
normal changes associated with aging include: (Select all that apply.)
A. Improved blood flow
B. Slowed metabolic rate
C. Decreased brain weight
D. Improved nerve fiber conduction
E. Less respiratory capacity - CORRECT ANSWER B, C, E
A 20-year-old college student has presented to her campus medical clinic for a scheduled Pap smear. The clinician who
will interpret the smear will examine cell samples for evidence of:
A. Changes in cell shape, size, and organization
B. Presence of unexpected cell types
C. Ischemic changes in cell sample
D. Abnormally high numbers of cells - CORRECT ANSWER A
The parents of a 4-year-old girl have sought care because their daughter has admitted to chewing and swallowing
imported toy figurines that have been determined to be made of lead. Which of the following blood tests should the care
team prioritize?
A. White blood cell levels with differential
B. Red blood cell levels and morphology
C. Urea and creatinine levels
D. Liver function panel - CORRECT ANSWER B
Lead -> anemia, RBC lysis
You know it's not A because there is no infection involved. C is focused on kidney function while D is focused on liver
function. Both of these would be important in the case of lead poisoning BUT the priority answer is B, because you need
first to address the most life-threatening patient needs. The little girl in this question can go into shock or suffer
permanent organ damage if her RBCs are low.
A patient with severe peripheral vascular disease has developed signs of dry gangrene on the great toe of one foot. Which
of the following pathophysiologic processes most likely contributed to this diagnosis?
A. Inappropriate activation of apoptosis
B. Bacterial invasion
C. Impaired arterial blood supply
D. Metaplastic cellular changes - CORRECT ANSWER B
Remember that it's not C because to have gangrene, you must have infection
Although stress exposure initiates integrated responses by multiple systems, the most important changes are first activated
by which system?
A. Pulmonary
B. Gastrointestinal
, C. Neuroendocrine
D. Cardiovascular - CORRECT ANSWER C
Which manifestation of stress reflects the non-specific fight or flight response?
A. Decreased pupillary light response
B. Increased GI motility
C. Decreased short-term memory
D. Increased cardiopulmonary rates - CORRECT ANSWER D
This would fall under physiologic responses to stress!! Slide 25 in your lecture powerpoint
Stress-induced cortisol hormone secretion is associated with:
A. Increased growth hormone level
B. Regulation of the stress response
C. Increased thyroid-stimulating hormone
D. Depressed adrenal gland function - CORRECT ANSWER B
You know it's not A because I mentioned in an earlier slide that growth hormone levels decrease with stress. We didn't
mention thyroid-stimulating hormone as one of the ones associated with the stress repsonse so you can pretty much
assume that's not right. And we know adrenal function is not depressed because ACTH from the anterior pituitary
stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol.
Which of the following factors are known to contribute to an individual's ability to adapt to stress? (Select all that apply.)
A. Ethnicity
B. Age
C. Socioeconomic status
D. Gender
E. Health status - CORRECT ANSWER B, C, D, E
"Ability to adapt to stress" = mediating factors! Slide 28 of this powerpoint
Two people experience the same stressor yet only one is able to cope and adapt adequately. An example of the person
with an increased capacity to adapt is the one with:
A. A sense of purpose in life
B. Circadian rhythm disruption
C. Age-related renal dysfunction
D. Excessive weight gain or loss - CORRECT ANSWER A
Back to mediating factors. Which of these things do you think would help a person deal with stress? Disruption in sleep
cycle (B) will definitely not help, age-related renal dysfunction (C) is an indicator of poor health status which also would
not help, and excessive weight changes (D) are also likely to cause more stress than alleviate it.
The characteristic, localized cardinal signs of acute inflammation include: (Select all that apply.)
A. Redness
B. Fatigue
C. Swelling
D. Warmth
E. Fever - CORRECT ANSWER A, C, D
The cellular stage of acute inflammation is marked by the movement of leukocytes into the area. Which of the following
cells arrives first and in great numbers?
A. Basophils
B. Lymphocytes
C. Neutrophils
UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
A patient is found to have liver disease, resulting in the removal of a lobe of his liver. Adaptation to the reduced size of
the liver leads to ___________ of the remaining liver cells.
A. Metaplasia
B. Organ atrophy
C. Compensatory hyperplasia
D. Physiologic hyperplasia - CORRECT ANSWER C
An older adult patient comes to the clinic complaining of not being able to do what he used to be able to. You know that
normal changes associated with aging include: (Select all that apply.)
A. Improved blood flow
B. Slowed metabolic rate
C. Decreased brain weight
D. Improved nerve fiber conduction
E. Less respiratory capacity - CORRECT ANSWER B, C, E
A 20-year-old college student has presented to her campus medical clinic for a scheduled Pap smear. The clinician who
will interpret the smear will examine cell samples for evidence of:
A. Changes in cell shape, size, and organization
B. Presence of unexpected cell types
C. Ischemic changes in cell sample
D. Abnormally high numbers of cells - CORRECT ANSWER A
The parents of a 4-year-old girl have sought care because their daughter has admitted to chewing and swallowing
imported toy figurines that have been determined to be made of lead. Which of the following blood tests should the care
team prioritize?
A. White blood cell levels with differential
B. Red blood cell levels and morphology
C. Urea and creatinine levels
D. Liver function panel - CORRECT ANSWER B
Lead -> anemia, RBC lysis
You know it's not A because there is no infection involved. C is focused on kidney function while D is focused on liver
function. Both of these would be important in the case of lead poisoning BUT the priority answer is B, because you need
first to address the most life-threatening patient needs. The little girl in this question can go into shock or suffer
permanent organ damage if her RBCs are low.
A patient with severe peripheral vascular disease has developed signs of dry gangrene on the great toe of one foot. Which
of the following pathophysiologic processes most likely contributed to this diagnosis?
A. Inappropriate activation of apoptosis
B. Bacterial invasion
C. Impaired arterial blood supply
D. Metaplastic cellular changes - CORRECT ANSWER B
Remember that it's not C because to have gangrene, you must have infection
Although stress exposure initiates integrated responses by multiple systems, the most important changes are first activated
by which system?
A. Pulmonary
B. Gastrointestinal
, C. Neuroendocrine
D. Cardiovascular - CORRECT ANSWER C
Which manifestation of stress reflects the non-specific fight or flight response?
A. Decreased pupillary light response
B. Increased GI motility
C. Decreased short-term memory
D. Increased cardiopulmonary rates - CORRECT ANSWER D
This would fall under physiologic responses to stress!! Slide 25 in your lecture powerpoint
Stress-induced cortisol hormone secretion is associated with:
A. Increased growth hormone level
B. Regulation of the stress response
C. Increased thyroid-stimulating hormone
D. Depressed adrenal gland function - CORRECT ANSWER B
You know it's not A because I mentioned in an earlier slide that growth hormone levels decrease with stress. We didn't
mention thyroid-stimulating hormone as one of the ones associated with the stress repsonse so you can pretty much
assume that's not right. And we know adrenal function is not depressed because ACTH from the anterior pituitary
stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol.
Which of the following factors are known to contribute to an individual's ability to adapt to stress? (Select all that apply.)
A. Ethnicity
B. Age
C. Socioeconomic status
D. Gender
E. Health status - CORRECT ANSWER B, C, D, E
"Ability to adapt to stress" = mediating factors! Slide 28 of this powerpoint
Two people experience the same stressor yet only one is able to cope and adapt adequately. An example of the person
with an increased capacity to adapt is the one with:
A. A sense of purpose in life
B. Circadian rhythm disruption
C. Age-related renal dysfunction
D. Excessive weight gain or loss - CORRECT ANSWER A
Back to mediating factors. Which of these things do you think would help a person deal with stress? Disruption in sleep
cycle (B) will definitely not help, age-related renal dysfunction (C) is an indicator of poor health status which also would
not help, and excessive weight changes (D) are also likely to cause more stress than alleviate it.
The characteristic, localized cardinal signs of acute inflammation include: (Select all that apply.)
A. Redness
B. Fatigue
C. Swelling
D. Warmth
E. Fever - CORRECT ANSWER A, C, D
The cellular stage of acute inflammation is marked by the movement of leukocytes into the area. Which of the following
cells arrives first and in great numbers?
A. Basophils
B. Lymphocytes
C. Neutrophils
