UNE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY MIDTERM
PRACTICE EXAMINATION 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED
A+
◍ skin is largest organ of the body.
Answer: constituting 20% of body weight
◍ thoracic aneurysm clinical course.
Answer: rupture -Can cause obstruction of airway (esophagus)-cough -
irritation recurrent laryngeal nerve -bone erosion - side branch compression
◍ clinical presentation of aortic dissection.
Answer: sudden onset excruciating pain, often described as "tearing", often
with radiation to back and often moving distally; aortic valve regurgitation
due to aortic valve ring dilation; loss of upper extremity pulse due to
compression of subclavian artery
◍ thermal injury organ dysfunction.
Answer: look here
◍ metastatic lesions/dilated colon.
Answer: look here
◍ isochromosomes.
Answer: structural abnormality; when centromere divides horizontally rather
than vertically → one of 2 arms is lost; remaining arm duplicated ■ most
common live birth = i(Xq) → long arm of X chromosome ● fertilization by
normal X → monosomy for Xp, trisomy for Xq
◍ Respiratory Acidosis.
Answer: occurs when there is alveolar hypoventilation resulting in an excess
, of carbon dioxide in the blood.
◍ doll's eye test.
Answer: eyes maneuver entails rotating the patient's head from side to side
→ positive sign is eyes move with head, whereas normal eyes lock on object
and will stay on it even if head turns (checks oculovestibular reflex)
◍ degree of secondary injury and associated morbidity and mortality is much
higher in which type of stroke?.
Answer: hemorrhagic
◍ A patient has a spinal cord tumor that is causing an irritative syndrome what
does this imply to the nurse?.
Answer: the patient is experiencing compression symptoms plus radicular
pain
◍ What is necrosis?.
Answer: Cell death in an organ or tissues that is still part of a living person
◍ chemical mediators of inflammation produced locally.
Answer: typically stored in intracellular granules that are secreted upon
activation
◍ Subacute-chronic of endocarditis.
Answer: Evolve over months; patients usually have valve
abnormalitiesFriable, bulky and potentially destructive vegetative lesions
form on the heart valvesIs seen with a low grade fever, gradual onset and
other systemic signs of inflammation (splenomegaly, anorexia, malaise and
lethargy)
◍ systemic typhoid fever.
Answer: high fevers for 2 weeks, abdominal pain (can mimic appendicitis)
meningitis, seizures, endocarditis, myocarditis / rose spots on the abdomen
(aka like a salmon → salmonella)
◍ mechanisms of liver injury.
Answer: inflammation, degeneration, cell death, fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver
, disease
◍ manifestations of autonomic dysreflexia.
Answer: hypertension, bradycardia, flushing above the level of injury, and
clammy skin below the level of injury
◍ epigenetic changes.
Answer: change in gene or protein expression → no mutation in coded DNA
■ can "silence", or amplify
◍ anemia.
Answer: low red blood cell count
◍ moist thin-walled blisters often form.
Answer: hallmark of second degree/partial thickness burn
◍ circulating cells.
Answer: polymorphonuclear cells (neutrophils), mononuclear cells
(eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes), platelets
◍ HPV malignant cells.
Answer: bridging the gap between infection and neoplasms, these viruses
cause squamous cell cancer of the cervix
◍ pathology.
Answer: the study of suffering → the causes (etiology) of disease, the
mechanisms (pathogenesis) that result in signs and symptoms of disease
◍ epidural hematoma.
Answer: collection of blood between dura and skull; typically involves
arterial injury thus rapid onset of symptoms (bc arteries have higher
pressure) → often involves a fracture of the temporal bone with disruption
of the middle meningeal artery / bowing out on both sides on imaging is
dead giveaway that it is higher pressure, meaning epidural
◍ alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin.
Answer: markers of bile excretion or lack of it (cholestasis); much overlap
in any disease
, ◍ body weight < 80% of expected.
Answer: malnourished
◍ complications of GERD.
Answer: stricture, bleeding, leukoplakia, Barrett esophagus
◍ Plasma oncotic (colloid osmotic) pressure is maintained by the quantity of
plasma.
Answer: Protein
◍ Causes of anemia.
Answer: *Lack of nutritional elements*Bone marrow failure*Destruction of
RBC*Excessive Loss
◍ aspiration pneumonia pathogenesis.
Answer: chemical injury from gastric contents → causes polymicrobial
infection with aerobes and anaerobes → often necrotizing, causes abscesses
◍ sequence and copy number variations.
Answer: SNPs and CNVs
◍ Transfusion Reaction.
Answer: Receive blood from someone with a different blood type -->
recipient antibodies attach to the donor RBC antigens
◍ neuronal tumors.
Answer: embryonal neoplasms → medulloblastoma
◍ What are the disorders of vestibular function?.
Answer: *Vertigo*Motion Sickness
◍ Which assessment finding would not be expected for a patient with
hypervolemia (fluid overload/isotonic fluid excess)?.
Answer: increased hematocrit
◍ by far the most common location of tinea pedis?.
Answer: the 4-5 interspace
◍ TB pathogenesis: primary infection.
PRACTICE EXAMINATION 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED
A+
◍ skin is largest organ of the body.
Answer: constituting 20% of body weight
◍ thoracic aneurysm clinical course.
Answer: rupture -Can cause obstruction of airway (esophagus)-cough -
irritation recurrent laryngeal nerve -bone erosion - side branch compression
◍ clinical presentation of aortic dissection.
Answer: sudden onset excruciating pain, often described as "tearing", often
with radiation to back and often moving distally; aortic valve regurgitation
due to aortic valve ring dilation; loss of upper extremity pulse due to
compression of subclavian artery
◍ thermal injury organ dysfunction.
Answer: look here
◍ metastatic lesions/dilated colon.
Answer: look here
◍ isochromosomes.
Answer: structural abnormality; when centromere divides horizontally rather
than vertically → one of 2 arms is lost; remaining arm duplicated ■ most
common live birth = i(Xq) → long arm of X chromosome ● fertilization by
normal X → monosomy for Xp, trisomy for Xq
◍ Respiratory Acidosis.
Answer: occurs when there is alveolar hypoventilation resulting in an excess
, of carbon dioxide in the blood.
◍ doll's eye test.
Answer: eyes maneuver entails rotating the patient's head from side to side
→ positive sign is eyes move with head, whereas normal eyes lock on object
and will stay on it even if head turns (checks oculovestibular reflex)
◍ degree of secondary injury and associated morbidity and mortality is much
higher in which type of stroke?.
Answer: hemorrhagic
◍ A patient has a spinal cord tumor that is causing an irritative syndrome what
does this imply to the nurse?.
Answer: the patient is experiencing compression symptoms plus radicular
pain
◍ What is necrosis?.
Answer: Cell death in an organ or tissues that is still part of a living person
◍ chemical mediators of inflammation produced locally.
Answer: typically stored in intracellular granules that are secreted upon
activation
◍ Subacute-chronic of endocarditis.
Answer: Evolve over months; patients usually have valve
abnormalitiesFriable, bulky and potentially destructive vegetative lesions
form on the heart valvesIs seen with a low grade fever, gradual onset and
other systemic signs of inflammation (splenomegaly, anorexia, malaise and
lethargy)
◍ systemic typhoid fever.
Answer: high fevers for 2 weeks, abdominal pain (can mimic appendicitis)
meningitis, seizures, endocarditis, myocarditis / rose spots on the abdomen
(aka like a salmon → salmonella)
◍ mechanisms of liver injury.
Answer: inflammation, degeneration, cell death, fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver
, disease
◍ manifestations of autonomic dysreflexia.
Answer: hypertension, bradycardia, flushing above the level of injury, and
clammy skin below the level of injury
◍ epigenetic changes.
Answer: change in gene or protein expression → no mutation in coded DNA
■ can "silence", or amplify
◍ anemia.
Answer: low red blood cell count
◍ moist thin-walled blisters often form.
Answer: hallmark of second degree/partial thickness burn
◍ circulating cells.
Answer: polymorphonuclear cells (neutrophils), mononuclear cells
(eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes), platelets
◍ HPV malignant cells.
Answer: bridging the gap between infection and neoplasms, these viruses
cause squamous cell cancer of the cervix
◍ pathology.
Answer: the study of suffering → the causes (etiology) of disease, the
mechanisms (pathogenesis) that result in signs and symptoms of disease
◍ epidural hematoma.
Answer: collection of blood between dura and skull; typically involves
arterial injury thus rapid onset of symptoms (bc arteries have higher
pressure) → often involves a fracture of the temporal bone with disruption
of the middle meningeal artery / bowing out on both sides on imaging is
dead giveaway that it is higher pressure, meaning epidural
◍ alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin.
Answer: markers of bile excretion or lack of it (cholestasis); much overlap
in any disease
, ◍ body weight < 80% of expected.
Answer: malnourished
◍ complications of GERD.
Answer: stricture, bleeding, leukoplakia, Barrett esophagus
◍ Plasma oncotic (colloid osmotic) pressure is maintained by the quantity of
plasma.
Answer: Protein
◍ Causes of anemia.
Answer: *Lack of nutritional elements*Bone marrow failure*Destruction of
RBC*Excessive Loss
◍ aspiration pneumonia pathogenesis.
Answer: chemical injury from gastric contents → causes polymicrobial
infection with aerobes and anaerobes → often necrotizing, causes abscesses
◍ sequence and copy number variations.
Answer: SNPs and CNVs
◍ Transfusion Reaction.
Answer: Receive blood from someone with a different blood type -->
recipient antibodies attach to the donor RBC antigens
◍ neuronal tumors.
Answer: embryonal neoplasms → medulloblastoma
◍ What are the disorders of vestibular function?.
Answer: *Vertigo*Motion Sickness
◍ Which assessment finding would not be expected for a patient with
hypervolemia (fluid overload/isotonic fluid excess)?.
Answer: increased hematocrit
◍ by far the most common location of tinea pedis?.
Answer: the 4-5 interspace
◍ TB pathogenesis: primary infection.
