NR 507: Advanced Pathophysiology Midterm | High-Yield Study Guide
| 200 Practice Questions, Verified Answers & Detailed Rationales
1. What is asthma?
Answer: A chronic disease due to bronchoconstriction and an excessive
inflammatory response in the bronchioles.
Rationale: The definition explicitly states both components—airway narrowing
and overactive inflammation—making it a chronic condition.
2. What is the lamina propria?
Answer: The middle layer of the bronchioles.
Rationale: The notes specifically identify the lamina propria as the middle layer.
3. What is the structure of the lamina propria?
Answer: Embedded with connective tissue cells and immune cells.
Rationale: This describes the cellular composition of the middle layer.
4. What are 5 signs/symptoms of asthma?
Answer: Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and chest
tightness.
Rationale: These five clinical manifestations are directly listed as key signs of an
asthma exacerbation.
5. What are the 5 key pathophysiological changes in asthma?
Answer: (1) Airway inflammation, bronchial hyper-reactivity, and smooth muscle
spasm; (2) excess mucus production; (3) hypertrophy of bronchial smooth muscle;
(4) airflow obstruction; (5) decreased alveolar ventilation.
Rationale: These five points are explicitly outlined as the pathophysiology of
asthma.
6. What are bronchioles?
Answer: Smaller passageways that originate from the bronchi and become the
,alveoli.
Rationale: The notes define bronchioles by their anatomical position between
bronchi and alveoli.
7. What are the 3 layers of the bronchioles?
Answer: Innermost layer, middle layer (lamina propria), and outermost layer.
Rationale: This is the direct anatomical breakdown provided.
8. What is the purpose of the lamina propria?
Answer: White blood cells are present to help protect the airways.
Rationale: The notes state that immune cells in this layer serve a protective
function.
9. How does the lamina propria affect the lungs in asthma?
Answer: The WBCs' protective feature goes into overdrive, causing an
inflammatory response that damages host tissue.
Rationale: This explains the transition from protection to pathology in asthma.
10. What does the innermost layer of the bronchioles contain?
Answer: Columnar epithelial cells and mucus-producing goblet cells.
Rationale: This is the specific cell types listed for the innermost layer.
11. What does the outermost layer of the bronchioles contain?
Answer: Smooth muscle cells.
Rationale: The notes identify smooth muscle as the component of the outer layer.
12. What does the outermost layer of the bronchioles do?
Answer: Controls the airways' ability to constrict and dilate.
Rationale: Smooth muscle contraction and relaxation regulate airway diameter.
13. What is alveolar hyperinflation?
Answer: When air is unable to move out of the alveoli due to bronchial walls
collapsing around a mucus plug, trapping air inside.
Rationale: This is the definition provided in your notes.
, 14. How does alveolar hyperinflation occur?
Answer: The ongoing inflammatory process of asthma produces mucus and pus
plugs that the bronchial walls collapse around.
Rationale: The notes describe the mechanism linking inflammation to plug
formation and collapse.
15. What are the effects of alveolar hyperinflation?
Answer: Expanded thorax and hypercapnia (retention of CO₂), leading to
respiratory acidosis.
Rationale: These are the two direct consequences listed.
16. What two anticholinergic drugs are used for asthma?
Answer: Tiotropium and ipratropium.
Rationale: These are the two drugs named in your notes.
17. What do anticholinergics do in the lungs?
Answer: They block the effects of the parasympathetic nervous system, increasing
bronchodilation.
Rationale: The notes state that blocking parasympathetic effects leads to airway
relaxation.
18. What is the MOA of anticholinergic drugs for asthma?
Answer: The parasympathetic system (via vagal nerve) releases acetylcholine,
which binds to cholinergic receptors to cause bronchial constriction. Blocking
these receptors prevents acetylcholine binding, stopping constriction.
Rationale: This is the step-by-step mechanism from your notes.
19. What is bronchitis?
Answer: Inflammation of the bronchial tubes.
Rationale: This is the direct definition.
20. What are 3 characteristics of bronchitis?
Answer: Bronchial inflammation, hypersecretion of mucus, and chronic
| 200 Practice Questions, Verified Answers & Detailed Rationales
1. What is asthma?
Answer: A chronic disease due to bronchoconstriction and an excessive
inflammatory response in the bronchioles.
Rationale: The definition explicitly states both components—airway narrowing
and overactive inflammation—making it a chronic condition.
2. What is the lamina propria?
Answer: The middle layer of the bronchioles.
Rationale: The notes specifically identify the lamina propria as the middle layer.
3. What is the structure of the lamina propria?
Answer: Embedded with connective tissue cells and immune cells.
Rationale: This describes the cellular composition of the middle layer.
4. What are 5 signs/symptoms of asthma?
Answer: Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and chest
tightness.
Rationale: These five clinical manifestations are directly listed as key signs of an
asthma exacerbation.
5. What are the 5 key pathophysiological changes in asthma?
Answer: (1) Airway inflammation, bronchial hyper-reactivity, and smooth muscle
spasm; (2) excess mucus production; (3) hypertrophy of bronchial smooth muscle;
(4) airflow obstruction; (5) decreased alveolar ventilation.
Rationale: These five points are explicitly outlined as the pathophysiology of
asthma.
6. What are bronchioles?
Answer: Smaller passageways that originate from the bronchi and become the
,alveoli.
Rationale: The notes define bronchioles by their anatomical position between
bronchi and alveoli.
7. What are the 3 layers of the bronchioles?
Answer: Innermost layer, middle layer (lamina propria), and outermost layer.
Rationale: This is the direct anatomical breakdown provided.
8. What is the purpose of the lamina propria?
Answer: White blood cells are present to help protect the airways.
Rationale: The notes state that immune cells in this layer serve a protective
function.
9. How does the lamina propria affect the lungs in asthma?
Answer: The WBCs' protective feature goes into overdrive, causing an
inflammatory response that damages host tissue.
Rationale: This explains the transition from protection to pathology in asthma.
10. What does the innermost layer of the bronchioles contain?
Answer: Columnar epithelial cells and mucus-producing goblet cells.
Rationale: This is the specific cell types listed for the innermost layer.
11. What does the outermost layer of the bronchioles contain?
Answer: Smooth muscle cells.
Rationale: The notes identify smooth muscle as the component of the outer layer.
12. What does the outermost layer of the bronchioles do?
Answer: Controls the airways' ability to constrict and dilate.
Rationale: Smooth muscle contraction and relaxation regulate airway diameter.
13. What is alveolar hyperinflation?
Answer: When air is unable to move out of the alveoli due to bronchial walls
collapsing around a mucus plug, trapping air inside.
Rationale: This is the definition provided in your notes.
, 14. How does alveolar hyperinflation occur?
Answer: The ongoing inflammatory process of asthma produces mucus and pus
plugs that the bronchial walls collapse around.
Rationale: The notes describe the mechanism linking inflammation to plug
formation and collapse.
15. What are the effects of alveolar hyperinflation?
Answer: Expanded thorax and hypercapnia (retention of CO₂), leading to
respiratory acidosis.
Rationale: These are the two direct consequences listed.
16. What two anticholinergic drugs are used for asthma?
Answer: Tiotropium and ipratropium.
Rationale: These are the two drugs named in your notes.
17. What do anticholinergics do in the lungs?
Answer: They block the effects of the parasympathetic nervous system, increasing
bronchodilation.
Rationale: The notes state that blocking parasympathetic effects leads to airway
relaxation.
18. What is the MOA of anticholinergic drugs for asthma?
Answer: The parasympathetic system (via vagal nerve) releases acetylcholine,
which binds to cholinergic receptors to cause bronchial constriction. Blocking
these receptors prevents acetylcholine binding, stopping constriction.
Rationale: This is the step-by-step mechanism from your notes.
19. What is bronchitis?
Answer: Inflammation of the bronchial tubes.
Rationale: This is the direct definition.
20. What are 3 characteristics of bronchitis?
Answer: Bronchial inflammation, hypersecretion of mucus, and chronic
