ARDS NCLEX UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
1. It will be most important for the nurse to check pulse oximetry for which of these patients?
a. A patient with emphysema and a respiratory rate of 16
b. A patient with massive obesity who is refusing to get out of bed
c. A patient with pneumonia who has just been admitted to the unit
d. A patient who has just received morphine sulfate for postoperative pain - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔C
Rationale: Hypoxemia and hypoxemic respiratory failure are caused by disorders that
interfere with the transfer of oxygen into the blood, such as pneumonia. The other listed
disorders are more likely to cause problems with hypercapnia because of ventilatory failure.
Cognitive Level: Application Text Reference: pp. 1799-1800
Nursing Process: Assessment NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
2. The nurse will monitor for clinical manifestations of hypercapnia when a patient in the
emergency department has
a. chest trauma and multiple rib fractures.
b. carbon monoxide poisoning after a house fire.
c. left-sided ventricular failure and acute pulmonary edema.
d. tachypnea and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔A
Rationale: Hypercapnia is caused by poor ventilatory effort, which occurs in chest trauma
when rib fractures (or flail chest) decrease lung ventilation. Carbon monoxide poisoning,
acute pulmonary edema, and ARDS are more commonly associated with hypoxemia.
Cognitive Level: Application Text Reference: p. 1800
Nursing Process: Assessment NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
3. When a patient is diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, the nurse will teach the patient about
the risk for poor oxygenation because of
a. too-rapid movement of blood flow through the pulmonary blood vessels.
, b. incomplete filling of the alveoli with air because of reduced respiratory ability.
c. decreased transfer of oxygen into the blood because of thickening of the alveoli.
d. mismatch between lung ventilation and blood flow through the blood vessels of the lung. -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔C
Rationale: Pulmonary fibrosis causes the alveolar-capillary interface to become thicker,
which increases the amount of time it takes for gas to diffuse across the membrane. Too-rapid
pulmonary blood flow is another cause of shunt but does not describe the pathology of
pulmonary fibrosis. Decrease in alveolar ventilation will cause hypercapnia. Ventilation and
perfusion are matched in pulmonary fibrosis; the problem is with diffusion.
Cognitive Level: Application Text Reference: p. 1802
Nursing Process: Implementation NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
4. A patient is diagnosed with a large pulmonary embolism. When explaining to the patient
what has happened to cause respiratory failure, which information will the nurse include?
a. "Oxygen transfer into your blood is slow because of thick membranes between the small
air sacs and the lung circulation."
b. "Thick secretions in your small airways are blocking air from moving into the small air
sacs in your lungs."
c. "Large areas of your lungs are getting good blood flow but are not receiving enough air to
fill the small air sacs."
d. "Blood flow though some areas of your lungs is decreased even though you are taking
adequate breaths." - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔D
Rationale: A pulmonary embolus limits blood flow but does not affect ventilation, leading to
a ventilation-perfusion mismatch. The response beginning, "Oxygen transfer into your blood
is slow because of thick membranes" describes a diffusion problem. The remaining two
responses describe ventilation-perfusion mismatch with adequate blood flow but poor
ventilation.
Cognitive Level: Application Text Reference: p. 1802
Nursing Process: Implementation NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
5. A patient is brought to the emergency department unconscious following a barbiturate
overdose. Which potential complication will the nurse include when developing the plan of
care?
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
1. It will be most important for the nurse to check pulse oximetry for which of these patients?
a. A patient with emphysema and a respiratory rate of 16
b. A patient with massive obesity who is refusing to get out of bed
c. A patient with pneumonia who has just been admitted to the unit
d. A patient who has just received morphine sulfate for postoperative pain - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔C
Rationale: Hypoxemia and hypoxemic respiratory failure are caused by disorders that
interfere with the transfer of oxygen into the blood, such as pneumonia. The other listed
disorders are more likely to cause problems with hypercapnia because of ventilatory failure.
Cognitive Level: Application Text Reference: pp. 1799-1800
Nursing Process: Assessment NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
2. The nurse will monitor for clinical manifestations of hypercapnia when a patient in the
emergency department has
a. chest trauma and multiple rib fractures.
b. carbon monoxide poisoning after a house fire.
c. left-sided ventricular failure and acute pulmonary edema.
d. tachypnea and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔A
Rationale: Hypercapnia is caused by poor ventilatory effort, which occurs in chest trauma
when rib fractures (or flail chest) decrease lung ventilation. Carbon monoxide poisoning,
acute pulmonary edema, and ARDS are more commonly associated with hypoxemia.
Cognitive Level: Application Text Reference: p. 1800
Nursing Process: Assessment NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
3. When a patient is diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, the nurse will teach the patient about
the risk for poor oxygenation because of
a. too-rapid movement of blood flow through the pulmonary blood vessels.
, b. incomplete filling of the alveoli with air because of reduced respiratory ability.
c. decreased transfer of oxygen into the blood because of thickening of the alveoli.
d. mismatch between lung ventilation and blood flow through the blood vessels of the lung. -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔C
Rationale: Pulmonary fibrosis causes the alveolar-capillary interface to become thicker,
which increases the amount of time it takes for gas to diffuse across the membrane. Too-rapid
pulmonary blood flow is another cause of shunt but does not describe the pathology of
pulmonary fibrosis. Decrease in alveolar ventilation will cause hypercapnia. Ventilation and
perfusion are matched in pulmonary fibrosis; the problem is with diffusion.
Cognitive Level: Application Text Reference: p. 1802
Nursing Process: Implementation NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
4. A patient is diagnosed with a large pulmonary embolism. When explaining to the patient
what has happened to cause respiratory failure, which information will the nurse include?
a. "Oxygen transfer into your blood is slow because of thick membranes between the small
air sacs and the lung circulation."
b. "Thick secretions in your small airways are blocking air from moving into the small air
sacs in your lungs."
c. "Large areas of your lungs are getting good blood flow but are not receiving enough air to
fill the small air sacs."
d. "Blood flow though some areas of your lungs is decreased even though you are taking
adequate breaths." - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔D
Rationale: A pulmonary embolus limits blood flow but does not affect ventilation, leading to
a ventilation-perfusion mismatch. The response beginning, "Oxygen transfer into your blood
is slow because of thick membranes" describes a diffusion problem. The remaining two
responses describe ventilation-perfusion mismatch with adequate blood flow but poor
ventilation.
Cognitive Level: Application Text Reference: p. 1802
Nursing Process: Implementation NCLEX: Physiological Integrity
5. A patient is brought to the emergency department unconscious following a barbiturate
overdose. Which potential complication will the nurse include when developing the plan of
care?
