Pathophysiology Exam 1 Sample Questions With Verified Answers

A report comes back indicating that muscular atrophy has occurred. A nurse recalls that muscular atrophy involves a decrease in muscle cell: a. number b. size c. vacuoles d. lipofuscin - Answer B. Size During childhood, the thymus decreases in size, and this is referred to as what type of atrophy? a. Physiologic b. Pathologic c. Disuse d. Neurogenic - Answer A. Physiologic When planning care for a cardiac patient, the nurse knows that in response to an increased workload, cardiac myocardial cells will experience hypertrophy which is an: a. increase in size b. decrease in length c. increase in excitability d. decrease in number - Answer A. Increase in size A 55-year-old male with a 30-year history of smoking is examined for respiratory disturbance. Examination of his airway (bronchial) reveals that stratified squamous epithelial cells have replaced the normal columnar ciliated cells. This type of cellular adaption is called: a. anaplasia b. hyperplasia c. metaplasia d. dysplasia - Answer C. Metaplasia When planning care for the pregnant patient, the nurse will recall that the mammary glands enlarge as a consequence of: a. compensatory hyperplasia b. hormonal hyperplasia c. hormonal anaplasia d. compensatory anaplasia - Answer B. Hormonal hyperplasia A 24-year-old female presents with excessive menstrual bleeding. The physician identified endometrial changes that are due to hormonal imbalances. These cellular changes would be referred to as: a. dysplasia b. pathologic dysplasia c. hyperplasia d. pathologic hyperplas - Answer D. Pathologic hyperplasia A 55-year-old male is diagnosed with hepatocellular cancer secondary to hepatitis C. If the cancerous region of his liver is removed, the remaining cells would undergo: a. pathologic hyperplasia b. pathologic metaplasia c. compensatory hyperplasia d. compensatory aplasia - Answer C. Compensatory hyperplasia A 40-year-old female's Pap smear indicates abnormal changes in the shape and organization of cervical cells. Which term would be used to identify this type of change? a. Metaplasia b. Atrophy c. Hypertrophy d. Dysplasia - Answer D. Dyspalsia A 75-year-old male presents with chest pain on exertion. The chest pain is most likely due to hypoxic injury secondary to: a. malnutrition b. free radicals c. ischemia d. chemical toxicity - Answer C. Ischemia A patient has a heart attack that leads to progressive cell injury that causes cell death with severe cell swelling and breakdown of organelles. What term would the nurse use to define this process? a. Adaptation b. Calcification c. Apoptosis D. Necrosis - Answer D. Necrosis Sodium and water accumulation in an injured cell are a direct result of: a. decreased ATP production b. karyorrhexis c. ribosome detachment d. dehydration - Answer A. Decreased ATP production The early dilation (swelling) of the cell's endoplasmic reticulum results in: a. increased aerobic metabolism b. failure of DNA c. reduced protein synthesis d. increase Na+ - K+ pump function - Answer C. Reduced protein synthesis A 52-year-old male suffered a myocardial infarction secondary to atherosclerosis and ischemia. Once blood flow is returned to the damaged heart, reperfusion injury occurs as a result of: a. oxidative stress b. vacuolation c. decreased intracellular calcium d. lipid acceptor proteins - Answer A. Oxidative stress A family presents to their primary care provider reporting headache, nausea, weakness, tinnitus, and vomiting. Which of the following would be the most likely expression for these symptoms? a. Lead exposure b. Carbon monoxide poisoning c. Ethanol exposure d. Mercury poisoning - Answer B. Carbon monoxide poisoning A common pathway of irreversible cell injury involved increased intracellular: a. sodium b. potassium c. magnesium d. calcium - Answer D. Calcium A 50-year-old male sustained a closed head injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. CT scan revealed a collection of blood between the inner surface of the dura mater and the surface of the brain. Which type of injury will the nurse be caring for? a. Subdural hematoma b. Epidural hematoma c. Contusion d. Abrasion - Answer A. Subdural hematoma A 20-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a jagged sharp-force injury that is longer than it is deep. What type of wound would the nurse be caring for? a. Stab wound b. Incised wound c. Puncture wound d. Chopping wound - Answer B. Incised wound A 30-year-old female presents with a gunshot wound to the head. The wound has seared edges and a deep penetration of smoke and gunpowder fragments. This wound would be documented as a(n): a. exit b. intermediate range entrance c. contact range entrance d. indeterminate range entrance - Answer C. Contact range entrance A 15-year-old female presents to the ER following a physical assault. She has internal damage to the neck with deep bruising. X-ray reveals fractures of the hyoid bone and tracheal and cricoid cartilage. Which of the following most likely caused her injuries? a. Chemical asphyxiation b. Choking asphyxiation c. Ligature strangulation d. Manual strangulation - Answer D. Manual strangulation A 55-year-old male has swelling of the feet. Which of the following aided in the development of swelling? a. Increased ATP b. Chloride movement out of the cell c. Na+ movement into the cell d. Decreased oncotic pressure - Answer C. Na+ movement into the cell A 35-year-old female is diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Biopsy of the tumor reveals Russel bodies, and laboratory testing reveals kidney dysfunction. Which substance should the nurse monitor as it is accumulating in the patients' body? a. Glycogen b. Protein c. Pigment d. Melanin - Answer B. Protein A newborn male is diagnosed with albinism based on skin, eye, and hair appearance. Which finding will support this diagnosis? a. Increased melanin b. Increased hemoproteins c. Inability to convert tyrosine to DOPA d. Inability to convert bile to bilirubin - Answer C. Inability to convert tyrosine to DOPA A 23-year-old male develops a black eye following a fight. When the aide asks why this occurred, the nurse's best response is that the bruising is due to an accumulation of: a. transferrin b. bilirubin c. albumin d. hemosiderin - Answer D. Hemosiderin Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain because: a. debris is not digested by hydrolases b. of protein naturation c. it is rich in hydrolytic enzymes and lipids d. ischemia results in chemical injury - Answer C. It is rich in hydrolytic enzymes and lipids A 2-year-old swallowed watch batteries. Following ingestion, kidney function was impaired, and the heart began to fail. Which of the following was the most likely cause? a. Karyorrhexis b. Coagulative necrosis c. Ammonia accumulation d. Caseous necrosis - Answer B. Coagulative necrosis A group of prison inmates developed tuberculosis following exposure to an infected inmate, On examination, tissues were soft and granular (like clumped cheese). Which of the following is the most likely cause? a. Coagulative necrosis b. Liquefactive necrosis c. Caseous necrosis d. Autonecrosi - Answer C. Caseous necrosis A 50-year-old female became infected with Clostrifium bacteria and died a week later. Examination of her red blood cells revealed lysis of membranes. Which of the following was the most likely cause of her death? a. Fat necrosis b. Wet gangrene c. Gangrenous necrosis d. Gas gangrene - Answer D. Gas gangrene While read a textbook, a student reads the term apoptosis. The student recalls that apoptosis is a condition in which cells program themselves to: a. atrophy b. die c. regenerate d. age - Answer B. Die A 50-year-old male intravenous drug user is diagnoses with hepatitis C. Examination of the liver reveals cell death secondary to: a. fat necrosis b. physiologic apoptosis c. infection-induced apoptosis d. pyknosis - Answer C. Infection-induced apoptosis What principle should the nurse remember when trying to distinguish aging from diseases? a. It is difficult to tell the difference because both processes are believed to result from cell injury b. It is easy to tell normal processes from abnormal processes c. Disease, unlike aging, has a genetic component d. Aging is defined as exceeding life expectancy, but not maximal life span - Answer A. It is difficult to tell the difference because both processes are believed to result from cell injury When a nurse observes muscle stiffening occurring within 6-14 hours after death, the nurse should document this finding as the presence of: a. livor mortis g. gangrene c. algor mortis d. rigor mrotis - Answer D. Rigor mortis When a nurse is check a urinalysis, the finding that would alert the nurse to cellular injury is the presence of: a. slight glucose b. excessive protein c. blood d. urea - Answer B. Excessive protein An 86-year-old female patient has the wasting syndrome of aging, making her vulnerable to falls, functional decline, disease, and death. The nurse knows this patient is experiencing: a. frailty b. sarcopenia c. somatic death d. cellular aging - Answer A. Frailty Confirmation of somatic death is based on: a. presence of algor mortis b. presence of livor mortis c. complete cessation of respiration and circulation d. change in skin color to pale yellow - Answer C. Cessation of respiration and circulation A patient has been reading on the internet that light to moderate intake of alcohol is cardioprotective. When the patient asks the nurse what this means, the nurse should respond that the heart is protected by which of the following mechanisms? (SATA) a. Increased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol b. Prevention of clot formation c. Reduction in platelet aggregation d. Decrease in blood pressure e. Increased collateral circulation f. Decreased folate absorption - Answer A. Increased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol B. Prevention of clot formation C. Reduction in platelet aggregation D. Decrease in blood pressure After ingestion of lead, what organ systems should the nurse monitor because they are the most sensitive to the effects of lead? (SATA) a. Heart b. Lungs c. Liver d. Kidneys e. Brain f. Hematopoietic - Answer D. Kidneys E. Brain F. Hematopoietic A nurse is reviewing lab reports. The nurse recalls blood plasma is located in which of the following fluid compartments? A. Intracellular fluid (ICF) b. Extracellular fluid (ECF) c. Interstitial fluid d. Intravascular fluid - Answer D. Intravascular fluid A 35-year-old male weighs 70 kg. Approximately how much of this weight is considered the total volume of body water? a. 5 L b. 10 L c. 28 L d. 42 L - Answer D. 42 L While planning care for elderly individuals, the nurse remembers the elderly are at a higher risk for developing dehydration because they have: a. a higher total body water volume b. decreased muscle mass c. increased thirst d. an increased tendency toward developing edema - Answer B. Decreased muscle mass Which of the following patients should the nurse assess for decreased oncotic pressure in the capillaries? A patient with: a. a high-protein diet b. liver failure c. low blood pressure d. low blood glucose - Answer B. Liver failure Water movement between the ICF and ECF compartments is determined by: a. osmotic forces b. plasma oncotic forces c. antidiuretic hormone d. buffer systems - Answer A. Osmotic forces An experiment was designed to test the effects of the Starling forces on fluid movement. Which of the following alterations would result in fluid moving into the interstitial space? a. Increased capillary oncotic pressure b. Increased interstitual hydrostatic pressure c. Decreased capillary hydrostatic pressure d. Increased interstitial oncotic pressure - Answer D. Increased interstitial oncotic pressure When planning care for a dehydrated patient, the nurse remembers that the principle of water balance is closely related to the balance of: a. potassium b. chloride c. bicarbonate d. sodium - Answer D. Sodium A 70-year-old male with chronic renal failure presents with edema. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this condition? a. Increased capillary oncotic pressure b. Decreased interstitial oncotic pressure c. Increased capillary hydrostatic pressure d. Increased interstitial hydrostatic pressure - Answer C. Increased capillary hydrostatic pressue A 10-year-old male is brought to the emergency room (ER) incoherent and semiconscious. CT scan reveals that he is suffering from cerebral edema. This type of edema is referred to as: a. localized edema b. generalized edema c. pitting edema d. lymphedema - Answer A. Localized edema A nurse is teaching the staff about antidiuretic hormone (ADH). Which information should the nurse include? Secretion of ADH is stimulated by: a. increased serum potassium b. increased plasma osmolality c. decreased renal blood flow d. generalized edema - Answer B. Increased plasma osmolality Which statement by the staff indicated teaching was successful concerning aldosterone? a. decreased plasma osmolality b. increased serum potassium levels c. increased blood volume d. localized edema - Answer C. Increased blood volume A 25-year-old male is diagnosed with a hormone-secreting tumor of the adrenal cortex. Which finding would the nurse expect to see in the lab results? a. Decreased blood volume b. Decreased blood K+ levels c. Increased urine Na+ levels d. Increased white blood cells - Answer B. Decreased blood K+ levels A patient has been searching on the Internet about natriuretic hormones. When the patient asks the nurse what these hormones do, how should the nurse respond? Natriuretic hormones affect the balance of: a. calcium b. sodium c. magnesium d. potassium - Answer B. Sodium A 5-year-old male presents to the ER with delirium and sunken eyes. After diagnosing him with severe dehydration, the primary care provider orders fluid replacement. The nurse administers a hypertonic intravenous solution. Which of the following would be expected? a. Symptoms subside quickly b. Increased ICF volume c. Decreased ECF volume d. Intracellular dehydration - Answer D. Intracellular dehydration Which of the following patients is the most at risk for developing hypernatremia? A patient with: a. vomiting b. diuretic use c. dehydration d. hypoaldosteronism - Answer C. Dehydration Which of the following conditions would cause the nurse to monitor for hyperkalemia? a. Excess aldosterone b. Acute acidosis c. Insulin usage d. Metabolic alkalosis - Answer B. Acute acidosis Which organ system should the nurse monitor when the patient has long-term potassium deficits? a. Central nervous system (CNS) b. Lungs c. Kidneys d. Gastrointestinal tract - Answer C. Kidneys A 42-year-old female presents to her primary care provider reporting muscle weakness and cardiac abnormalities. Laboratory tests indicate that she is hypokalemic. Which of the following could be the cause of her condition? a. Respiratory acidosis b. Constipation c. Hypoglycemia d. Laxative abuse - Answer D. Laxative abuse A 19-year-old male presents to his primary care provider reporting restlessness, muscle cramping, and diarrhea. Lab tests reveal that he is hyperkalemic. Which of the following could have caused his condition? a. Primary hyperaldosteronism b. Acidosis c. Insulin secretion d. Diuretic use - Answer B. Acidosis A 60-year-old female is diagnoses with hyperkalemia. Which assessment finding should the nurse expect to observe? a. Weak pulse b. Excessive thirst c. Oliguria d. Constipation - Answer c. Oliguria (abnormally small amount of urine) Which of the following buffer pairs is considered the major buffering system? a. Protein/fat b. Carbonic acid/bicarbonate c. Sodium/potassium d. Amylase/albumin - Answer B. Carbonic acid/bicarbonate A nurse recalls that regulation of acid-base balance through removal or retention of volatile acids is accomplished by the: a. buffer systems b. skin c. lungs d. liver - Answer C. Lungs Which patient is most prone to metabolic alkalosis? A patient with: a. retention of metabolic acids b. hypoaldosteronism c. excessive loss of chloride (Cl) d. hyperventilation - Answer C. Excessive loss of chloride (Cl) Which patient should the nurse assess for both hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis? A patient diagnoses with: a. diabetes insipidus b. pulmonary disorders c. Cushing syndrome d. renal failure - Answer D. Renal failure For a patient experiencing metabolic acidosis, the body will compensate by: a. excreting H+ through the kidneys b. hyperventilating c. retaining CO2 in the lungs d. secreting aldosterone - Answer B. Hyperventilating Which finding would support the diagnosis of respiratory acidosis? a. Vomiting b. Hyperventilation c. Pneumonia d. An increase in noncarbonic acid - Answer c. Pneumonia