Med-Surg 1 Final Exam 2025
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Where is the best place to begin to select a vein for an initial intravenous (IV) site in a
left-handed patient?
Right forearm
Antecubital vein of the left arm
Left forearm
Antecubital vein of the right arm - ✔✔Right Forearm
RATIONALE: Unless other reasons are identified, IV sites should be started in the
most distal portion of the nondominant arm or hand.
A nurse assesses an area where an intravenous (IV) line had been recently removed.
The area has redness, swelling, and warmth. What should the nurse suspect as the
cause?
Blood loss and hemorrhage
Embolus from the former catheter
Inflammation and possible phlebitis
Infiltration and air embolus - ✔✔Inflammation and possible phlebitis
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY SOPHIA BENNETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,RATIONALE: IV sites may show signs of inflammation or infection or both after an
IV line has been removed.
The K+ laboratory report shows a level of 5.2 mEq/L. What is the most important
assessment for the nurse to make?
Excessive thirst
Frightening hallucinations
Irregular heartbeat
Swelling of ankles - ✔✔Irregular heartbeat
RATIONALE: Arrhythmias can be triggered by hyperkalemia.
A small child is hospitalized with severe metabolic acidosis after ingesting a whole
bottle of baby aspirin approximately 8 hours earlier. In addition to providing
reassurance to the patient, which nursing action is the most appropriate?
Inducing vomiting
Frequently assessing the mental and neurologic status
Taking daily weights and vital signs - ✔✔Frequently assessing the mental and
neurologic status
RATIONALE: The baby aspirin was ingested too long ago to have vomiting or
stomach aspiration be of any use. The child requires frequent assessment of
neurologic function because the child may need mechanical ventilation.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY SOPHIA BENNETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,When the water absorption in the renal tubules becomes greater than normal, what
assessment finding should a nurse anticipate?
Less concentrated urine
More concentrated urine
Less alkaline urine
More alkaline urine - ✔✔More concentrated urine
RATIONALE: When more water is kept back in the body, the water left to form
urine is less; therefore, the urine is more concentrated.
A patient has renal damage because of diabetes. What is the highest risk for this
patient?
Hypokalemia
Hypercalcemia
Hyperkalemia
Hypocalcemia - ✔✔Hyperkalemia
RATIONALE: When the renal system cannot rid the body of enough K+, this
electrolyte builds up and a condition called hyperkalemia develops.
A nurse understands that fluid balance is mainly monitored in the body by which
two systems?
Respiratory and circulatory
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY SOPHIA BENNETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, Renal and gastrointestinal
Circulatory and renal
Hepatic and lymphatic - ✔✔Circulatory and renal
RATIONALE: The monitoring of basic fluid balance in the body is performed by the
renal and circulatory systems.
What is usually associated with hyperchloremia?
Respiratory acidosis
Respiratory alkalosis
Metabolic acidosis
Metabolic alkalosis - ✔✔Metabolic acidosis
RATIONALE: Chlorides bind with positively charged ions such as K+ in the patient
with metabolic acidosis.
Each compartment of the body has a water-fluid distribution movement of its own.
What is the process allowing these fluids to move and distribute themselves among
compartments?
Active transport
Osmosis
Filtration
Diffusion - ✔✔Osmosis
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY SOPHIA BENNETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Where is the best place to begin to select a vein for an initial intravenous (IV) site in a
left-handed patient?
Right forearm
Antecubital vein of the left arm
Left forearm
Antecubital vein of the right arm - ✔✔Right Forearm
RATIONALE: Unless other reasons are identified, IV sites should be started in the
most distal portion of the nondominant arm or hand.
A nurse assesses an area where an intravenous (IV) line had been recently removed.
The area has redness, swelling, and warmth. What should the nurse suspect as the
cause?
Blood loss and hemorrhage
Embolus from the former catheter
Inflammation and possible phlebitis
Infiltration and air embolus - ✔✔Inflammation and possible phlebitis
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY SOPHIA BENNETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,RATIONALE: IV sites may show signs of inflammation or infection or both after an
IV line has been removed.
The K+ laboratory report shows a level of 5.2 mEq/L. What is the most important
assessment for the nurse to make?
Excessive thirst
Frightening hallucinations
Irregular heartbeat
Swelling of ankles - ✔✔Irregular heartbeat
RATIONALE: Arrhythmias can be triggered by hyperkalemia.
A small child is hospitalized with severe metabolic acidosis after ingesting a whole
bottle of baby aspirin approximately 8 hours earlier. In addition to providing
reassurance to the patient, which nursing action is the most appropriate?
Inducing vomiting
Frequently assessing the mental and neurologic status
Taking daily weights and vital signs - ✔✔Frequently assessing the mental and
neurologic status
RATIONALE: The baby aspirin was ingested too long ago to have vomiting or
stomach aspiration be of any use. The child requires frequent assessment of
neurologic function because the child may need mechanical ventilation.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY SOPHIA BENNETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,When the water absorption in the renal tubules becomes greater than normal, what
assessment finding should a nurse anticipate?
Less concentrated urine
More concentrated urine
Less alkaline urine
More alkaline urine - ✔✔More concentrated urine
RATIONALE: When more water is kept back in the body, the water left to form
urine is less; therefore, the urine is more concentrated.
A patient has renal damage because of diabetes. What is the highest risk for this
patient?
Hypokalemia
Hypercalcemia
Hyperkalemia
Hypocalcemia - ✔✔Hyperkalemia
RATIONALE: When the renal system cannot rid the body of enough K+, this
electrolyte builds up and a condition called hyperkalemia develops.
A nurse understands that fluid balance is mainly monitored in the body by which
two systems?
Respiratory and circulatory
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY SOPHIA BENNETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, Renal and gastrointestinal
Circulatory and renal
Hepatic and lymphatic - ✔✔Circulatory and renal
RATIONALE: The monitoring of basic fluid balance in the body is performed by the
renal and circulatory systems.
What is usually associated with hyperchloremia?
Respiratory acidosis
Respiratory alkalosis
Metabolic acidosis
Metabolic alkalosis - ✔✔Metabolic acidosis
RATIONALE: Chlorides bind with positively charged ions such as K+ in the patient
with metabolic acidosis.
Each compartment of the body has a water-fluid distribution movement of its own.
What is the process allowing these fluids to move and distribute themselves among
compartments?
Active transport
Osmosis
Filtration
Diffusion - ✔✔Osmosis
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY SOPHIA BENNETT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
