AACN Exam Questions and Answers
with Complete Solutions
Charcot's Triad - Answer RUQ pain, fever, jaundice (indicates cholangitis)
Reynold's pentad - Answer RUQ pain, fever, jaundice, AMS, hypotension (indicates
worsening cholangitis)
Murphy's sign - Answer pain with palpation of the RUQ during inspiration, indicative of
cholecystitis
Psoas sign - Answer RLQ pain with extension of right thigh/hip indicative of appendicitis
Kehr's sign - Answer Left shoulder pain caused by irritation of the undersurface of the
diaphragm by blood leaking from a ruptured spleen. While Kehr's sign (left shoulder
pain) is commonly a symptom of splenic rupture, right shoulder pain typically signals
liver or gallbladder irritation
Cullen's sign - Answer Ecchymosis in periumbilical area, seen with pancreatitis
Grey Turner's sign - Answer Atraumatic ecchymosis in the flank, typically indicating
hemorrhagic pancreatitis
Beck's triad - Answer JVD, muffled heart sounds, decreased BP (indicate cardiac
tamponade)
Cushing's triad - Answer bradycardia, bradypnea, hypertension (indicate increased ICP;
normal ICP=5-15 mm Hg)
Charcot's neurologic triad - Answer Nystagmus, staccato speech, intentional tremor
(indicate MS)
Virchow's triad - Answer Venous stasis, hypercoagulability, endothelial damage (high
risk of thrombosis)
Shock Triad - Answer Hypotension, tachycardia, tachypnea
Opioid Poisoning Triad - Answer CNS depression (AMS, coma), respiratory depression,
miosis (pinpoint pupils)
Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome: 3 signs - Answer short PR interval, delta waves, and
wide QRS complex
Behcet's disease - Answer Recurrent oral ulcers, genital ulcers, eye inflammation
,3 D's of pellagra (niacin, vit B3, deficiency) - Answer Diarrhea, dementia, dermatitis
Serotonin Syndrome - Answer Similar to NMS but caused by serotonin medications,
and has HYPERreflexive muscle activity
Symptoms= mental status changes and hyperthermia. Treatment=cyproheptadine
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome - Answer Adverse reaction to antipsychotics with
severe "lead pipe" rigidty, FEVER (102-104), tachycardia, tachypnea, mental status
changes
lethal triad of trauma - Answer Hypothermia, acidosis, coagulopathy
Neurogenic shock: 3 symptoms - Answer Hypothermia, hypotension, bradycardia
Whipple's triad - Answer 1. Fasting hypoglycemia <50
2. Symptoms during hypoglycemia
3. Immediate relief of symptoms after the administration of IV glucose
(suggest insulinoma)
Reactive arthritis rhyme - Answer Can't see (conjunctivitis), can't pee (urethritis or
cervicitis), can't climb a tree (arthritis)
Murphy's Triad - Answer RLQ pain, nausea/vomiting, fever (indicates appendicitis)
Acidosis vs Alkalosis - Answer ROME:
Respiratory - Opposite
Acidosis: pH is down, pCO2 is up
Alkalosis: pH is up, pCO2 is down
Metabolic - Equal
Acidosis: pH is down, pCO2 is down
Alkalosis: pH is up, pCO2 is up
ACE Inhibitors - Answer "PRIL" Captopril, Enalapril, Afosiopril
Antihypertensive. Blocks ACE in lungs from converting angiotensin I to angiotensin II
(powerful vasoconstrictor). Decreases BP, Decreased Aldosterone secretions, Sodium
and fluid loss.
Check BP before giving (hypotension)
*Orthostatic Hypotension
ARBs - Answer "SARTAN"
Angiotensin II receptor blockers
They decrease blood pressure, increase CO
, -Examples: Valsartan (Diovan), Losartan (Cozaar), and Irbesartan (Avapro)
-Uses: hypertension and heart failure
-Nursing Considerations: watch for hyperkalemia, hypotension, and renal dysfunction
Cholesterol Medications end in - Answer -statin
Beta blockers end in - Answer -olol
Calcium Channel Blockers end in - Answer -dipine (and verapamil and diltiazem)
5 P's of compartment syndrome - Answer Pain, pallor, pulselessness, paresthesia,
paralysis
Hypoglycemia rhyme - Answer Cold and clammy, need some candy
"TIRED"
T: tachycardia
I: irritable
R: restlessness
E: excessive hunger
D: diaphoresis
Hyperglycemia rhyme - Answer Hot and dry, sugar high
3 Ps
Polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria
WBC range - Answer 4.5-11 x 10^3/uL
RBC range - Answer Male: 4.5 - 5.5 x 10^6/uL
Female: 4 - 5 x 10^6/uL
Hgb range - Answer Male: 14-18 g/dL
Female: 12-16 g/dL
Hct range - Answer Male: 42-52%
Female: 36-46%
MCV range (size of RBCs) - Answer 80-100 fL
MCH range - Answer 28-34 pg (color)
MCHC range (color, how red RBCs are) - Answer 32 - 36%
RDW range (red cell distribution width; variation in RBC size) - Answer 12 - 14.6%
Platelets range - Answer Range: 150 - 400 x 10^3/uL
with Complete Solutions
Charcot's Triad - Answer RUQ pain, fever, jaundice (indicates cholangitis)
Reynold's pentad - Answer RUQ pain, fever, jaundice, AMS, hypotension (indicates
worsening cholangitis)
Murphy's sign - Answer pain with palpation of the RUQ during inspiration, indicative of
cholecystitis
Psoas sign - Answer RLQ pain with extension of right thigh/hip indicative of appendicitis
Kehr's sign - Answer Left shoulder pain caused by irritation of the undersurface of the
diaphragm by blood leaking from a ruptured spleen. While Kehr's sign (left shoulder
pain) is commonly a symptom of splenic rupture, right shoulder pain typically signals
liver or gallbladder irritation
Cullen's sign - Answer Ecchymosis in periumbilical area, seen with pancreatitis
Grey Turner's sign - Answer Atraumatic ecchymosis in the flank, typically indicating
hemorrhagic pancreatitis
Beck's triad - Answer JVD, muffled heart sounds, decreased BP (indicate cardiac
tamponade)
Cushing's triad - Answer bradycardia, bradypnea, hypertension (indicate increased ICP;
normal ICP=5-15 mm Hg)
Charcot's neurologic triad - Answer Nystagmus, staccato speech, intentional tremor
(indicate MS)
Virchow's triad - Answer Venous stasis, hypercoagulability, endothelial damage (high
risk of thrombosis)
Shock Triad - Answer Hypotension, tachycardia, tachypnea
Opioid Poisoning Triad - Answer CNS depression (AMS, coma), respiratory depression,
miosis (pinpoint pupils)
Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome: 3 signs - Answer short PR interval, delta waves, and
wide QRS complex
Behcet's disease - Answer Recurrent oral ulcers, genital ulcers, eye inflammation
,3 D's of pellagra (niacin, vit B3, deficiency) - Answer Diarrhea, dementia, dermatitis
Serotonin Syndrome - Answer Similar to NMS but caused by serotonin medications,
and has HYPERreflexive muscle activity
Symptoms= mental status changes and hyperthermia. Treatment=cyproheptadine
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome - Answer Adverse reaction to antipsychotics with
severe "lead pipe" rigidty, FEVER (102-104), tachycardia, tachypnea, mental status
changes
lethal triad of trauma - Answer Hypothermia, acidosis, coagulopathy
Neurogenic shock: 3 symptoms - Answer Hypothermia, hypotension, bradycardia
Whipple's triad - Answer 1. Fasting hypoglycemia <50
2. Symptoms during hypoglycemia
3. Immediate relief of symptoms after the administration of IV glucose
(suggest insulinoma)
Reactive arthritis rhyme - Answer Can't see (conjunctivitis), can't pee (urethritis or
cervicitis), can't climb a tree (arthritis)
Murphy's Triad - Answer RLQ pain, nausea/vomiting, fever (indicates appendicitis)
Acidosis vs Alkalosis - Answer ROME:
Respiratory - Opposite
Acidosis: pH is down, pCO2 is up
Alkalosis: pH is up, pCO2 is down
Metabolic - Equal
Acidosis: pH is down, pCO2 is down
Alkalosis: pH is up, pCO2 is up
ACE Inhibitors - Answer "PRIL" Captopril, Enalapril, Afosiopril
Antihypertensive. Blocks ACE in lungs from converting angiotensin I to angiotensin II
(powerful vasoconstrictor). Decreases BP, Decreased Aldosterone secretions, Sodium
and fluid loss.
Check BP before giving (hypotension)
*Orthostatic Hypotension
ARBs - Answer "SARTAN"
Angiotensin II receptor blockers
They decrease blood pressure, increase CO
, -Examples: Valsartan (Diovan), Losartan (Cozaar), and Irbesartan (Avapro)
-Uses: hypertension and heart failure
-Nursing Considerations: watch for hyperkalemia, hypotension, and renal dysfunction
Cholesterol Medications end in - Answer -statin
Beta blockers end in - Answer -olol
Calcium Channel Blockers end in - Answer -dipine (and verapamil and diltiazem)
5 P's of compartment syndrome - Answer Pain, pallor, pulselessness, paresthesia,
paralysis
Hypoglycemia rhyme - Answer Cold and clammy, need some candy
"TIRED"
T: tachycardia
I: irritable
R: restlessness
E: excessive hunger
D: diaphoresis
Hyperglycemia rhyme - Answer Hot and dry, sugar high
3 Ps
Polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria
WBC range - Answer 4.5-11 x 10^3/uL
RBC range - Answer Male: 4.5 - 5.5 x 10^6/uL
Female: 4 - 5 x 10^6/uL
Hgb range - Answer Male: 14-18 g/dL
Female: 12-16 g/dL
Hct range - Answer Male: 42-52%
Female: 36-46%
MCV range (size of RBCs) - Answer 80-100 fL
MCH range - Answer 28-34 pg (color)
MCHC range (color, how red RBCs are) - Answer 32 - 36%
RDW range (red cell distribution width; variation in RBC size) - Answer 12 - 14.6%
Platelets range - Answer Range: 150 - 400 x 10^3/uL
