NRNP 6531 Week 5 Knowledge Check —
Cardiovascular and Respiratory Conditions
Questions With Verified Solutions And
Rationales
Section 1: Asthma & COPD (Questions 1-15)
1. A 49-year-old female has daily symptoms of asthma. She uses her inhaled
short-acting beta-2 agonist daily. Her exacerbations affect her activities and occur
at least twice weekly and may last for days. She is affected more than once
weekly during the night. Which category of asthma severity is she in?
A. Mild intermittent
B. Mild persistent
C. Moderate persistent
D. Severe persistent
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Moderate persistent asthma is characterized by daily symptoms, daily
use of short-acting beta-2 agonists, exacerbations affecting activity and occurring
at least twice weekly, and nocturnal symptoms more than once weekly. This
patient meets all criteria for moderate persistent asthma .
,2. Salmeterol (Serevent) is prescribed for a patient with asthma. What is the most
important teaching point about this medication?
A. It is not effective during an acute asthma attack.
B. It should be taken at the first sign of an asthma attack.
C. It can be used as a rescue inhaler.
D. It should be stopped when symptoms improve.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Salmeterol is a long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) used for long-term
control, not acute relief. It has a slow onset of action and must not be used as a
rescue inhaler during an acute asthma attack. Patients should always have a
short-acting beta-2 agonist available for acute symptoms .
3. A 20-year-old is diagnosed with mild persistent asthma. What drug
combination would be most effective in keeping him symptom-free?
A. A bronchodilator PRN and an inhaled corticosteroid
B. An inhaled corticosteroid and cromolyn
C. Theophylline and a short-acting bronchodilator
D. A long-acting bronchodilator alone
,Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Mild persistent asthma is best managed with a low-dose inhaled
corticosteroid for long-term control plus a short-acting beta-2 agonist (SABA) as
needed for rescue. This combination provides both anti-inflammatory
maintenance and acute symptom relief .
4. Which drug category contains the drugs that are the first line gold standard
therapy for COPD?
A. Corticosteroids
B. Inhaled beta-2 agonist bronchodilators
C. Inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilators
D. Xanthines
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Inhaled beta-2 agonist bronchodilators are the first-line gold standard
therapy for COPD. They provide rapid relief of bronchospasm and are the
cornerstone of COPD management .
, 5. Which of the following medication classes should be avoided in patients with
acute or chronic bronchitis because it will contribute to ventilation-perfusion
mismatch in the patient?
A. Xanthines
B. Antihistamines
C. Steroids
D. Anticholinergics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Antihistamines should be avoided in patients with acute or chronic
bronchitis because they dry respiratory secretions, making them thicker and more
difficult to expectorate, which can worsen ventilation-perfusion mismatch .
6. Other than smoking cessation, which of the following slows the progression of
COPD in smokers?
A. Making sure the environment is free of all pollutants
B. Eliminating all pets from the environment
C. Engaging in moderate to high levels of physical activity
D. Remaining indoors with air conditioning as much as possible
Cardiovascular and Respiratory Conditions
Questions With Verified Solutions And
Rationales
Section 1: Asthma & COPD (Questions 1-15)
1. A 49-year-old female has daily symptoms of asthma. She uses her inhaled
short-acting beta-2 agonist daily. Her exacerbations affect her activities and occur
at least twice weekly and may last for days. She is affected more than once
weekly during the night. Which category of asthma severity is she in?
A. Mild intermittent
B. Mild persistent
C. Moderate persistent
D. Severe persistent
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Moderate persistent asthma is characterized by daily symptoms, daily
use of short-acting beta-2 agonists, exacerbations affecting activity and occurring
at least twice weekly, and nocturnal symptoms more than once weekly. This
patient meets all criteria for moderate persistent asthma .
,2. Salmeterol (Serevent) is prescribed for a patient with asthma. What is the most
important teaching point about this medication?
A. It is not effective during an acute asthma attack.
B. It should be taken at the first sign of an asthma attack.
C. It can be used as a rescue inhaler.
D. It should be stopped when symptoms improve.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Salmeterol is a long-acting beta-2 agonist (LABA) used for long-term
control, not acute relief. It has a slow onset of action and must not be used as a
rescue inhaler during an acute asthma attack. Patients should always have a
short-acting beta-2 agonist available for acute symptoms .
3. A 20-year-old is diagnosed with mild persistent asthma. What drug
combination would be most effective in keeping him symptom-free?
A. A bronchodilator PRN and an inhaled corticosteroid
B. An inhaled corticosteroid and cromolyn
C. Theophylline and a short-acting bronchodilator
D. A long-acting bronchodilator alone
,Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Mild persistent asthma is best managed with a low-dose inhaled
corticosteroid for long-term control plus a short-acting beta-2 agonist (SABA) as
needed for rescue. This combination provides both anti-inflammatory
maintenance and acute symptom relief .
4. Which drug category contains the drugs that are the first line gold standard
therapy for COPD?
A. Corticosteroids
B. Inhaled beta-2 agonist bronchodilators
C. Inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilators
D. Xanthines
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Inhaled beta-2 agonist bronchodilators are the first-line gold standard
therapy for COPD. They provide rapid relief of bronchospasm and are the
cornerstone of COPD management .
, 5. Which of the following medication classes should be avoided in patients with
acute or chronic bronchitis because it will contribute to ventilation-perfusion
mismatch in the patient?
A. Xanthines
B. Antihistamines
C. Steroids
D. Anticholinergics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Antihistamines should be avoided in patients with acute or chronic
bronchitis because they dry respiratory secretions, making them thicker and more
difficult to expectorate, which can worsen ventilation-perfusion mismatch .
6. Other than smoking cessation, which of the following slows the progression of
COPD in smokers?
A. Making sure the environment is free of all pollutants
B. Eliminating all pets from the environment
C. Engaging in moderate to high levels of physical activity
D. Remaining indoors with air conditioning as much as possible
