NHS PATHWAYS COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2025 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔what happen if you lose blood from an artery? - ✔✔very rapid and under significant
pressure. it will spurt out in large amounts
✔✔what is compensation in the body? - ✔✔when complex mechanisms come into
effect to try and makeup for blood lost.
✔✔what is angina? - ✔✔when there is lack of oxygen reaching the heart because of
poor blood flow - described as heaviness, pressure, tightness or pain in chest that may
spread and affect arms, neck, jaw, face, back or abdomen
✔✔what are symptoms of a heart attack? - ✔✔persistant chest pain, breathlessness,
faintness, sweating, a sense that something is seriously wrong, nausea, grey/pale skin,
a rapid, weak or irregular pulse.
✔✔what does AAA stand for - ✔✔abdominal aortic aneurysm
✔✔what is an AAA - ✔✔bulging and weakened area in an artery wall, the force of the
blood pushing against this area can cause an aneurism, they can be small or large, they
can occur in any artery but are common in the aorta and arteries in the brain and AAAs
can occur anywhere along its length
✔✔what is an aneurism that occurs in the part of the aorta through the chest called? -
✔✔thoracic aortic aneurysm
✔✔what is the most common cause of an aortic aneurysms - ✔✔artheroslerosis - fatty
deposits laid down in walls of arteries making them weaker. you are higher risk of this if
you smoke, have high BP or cholesterol, obesity and family history
✔✔what happens if an aortic aneurysm dissects or ruptures? - ✔✔a large amount of
blood can be lost from circulations very quickly
✔✔what are symptoms of aortic rupture or dissection - ✔✔can go into shock,
extreme/constant/sudden pain, nausea or vomiting, or little to no pain but a sense that
something is very wrong
✔✔what are the two parts to the nervous system? - ✔✔the central nervous system -
brain and spinal cord
the peripheral nervous system - nerves that connect the central nervous system to the
body
, ✔✔what is the brain protected by? - ✔✔3 tough membranes, clear fluid between brain
and meninges and a bony case
✔✔what happens when the body is unconscious? - ✔✔basic survival mechanisms such
as keeping airway open may not function - the tongue may fall back
✔✔what impaired consciousness? - ✔✔a situation where a person is anything less than
fully conscious
✔✔what are signs someone has impaired consciousness? - ✔✔uncoordinated, drowsy,
confused, slow, difficulty speaking
✔✔what is a fit? - ✔✔involuntary spasms of many muscles in the body due to electrical
disturbance in brain
✔✔what are causes of a fit? - ✔✔epilepsy, fever, head injury, infections of the CNS,
lack of oxygen/glucose, poisoning
✔✔what is an aura? - ✔✔distinctive feeling or warning sign that a seizure is on its way
✔✔what is a faint? - ✔✔a sudden, temporary loss of consciousness for up to 2 minutes
usually due to reduction of blood flow to the brain affecting oxygen and glucose levels.
✔✔what is meningitis? - ✔✔meninges become inflammed by bacteria or viruses
✔✔symptoms of meningitis in babies/infants - ✔✔fever, vomiting, sleepy, ill
appearance, irritable, floppy and unresponsive, unusual crying, pale and blotchy skin,
bulging fontanelle, cold hands/feet
✔✔symptoms of meningitis in babies in children and adults - ✔✔severe headache,
fever, nausea and vomiting, ill appearance, altered mental state, seizures/fits, unable to
tolerate bright lights, stiff next, rapid breathing, severe muscle pain
✔✔some bacterial that causes meningitis can cause sepsis - true or false? - ✔✔true
✔✔what causes sepsis? - ✔✔when bacteria enters the blood stream where they
multiply quickly and release endotoxins from their outer coating.
✔✔what does a meningitis rash look like? - ✔✔tiny pin pricks over the body then into
looking like bruises.
✔✔why do we ask callers not to do the glass test? - ✔✔it waste valuable time
WITH ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔what happen if you lose blood from an artery? - ✔✔very rapid and under significant
pressure. it will spurt out in large amounts
✔✔what is compensation in the body? - ✔✔when complex mechanisms come into
effect to try and makeup for blood lost.
✔✔what is angina? - ✔✔when there is lack of oxygen reaching the heart because of
poor blood flow - described as heaviness, pressure, tightness or pain in chest that may
spread and affect arms, neck, jaw, face, back or abdomen
✔✔what are symptoms of a heart attack? - ✔✔persistant chest pain, breathlessness,
faintness, sweating, a sense that something is seriously wrong, nausea, grey/pale skin,
a rapid, weak or irregular pulse.
✔✔what does AAA stand for - ✔✔abdominal aortic aneurysm
✔✔what is an AAA - ✔✔bulging and weakened area in an artery wall, the force of the
blood pushing against this area can cause an aneurism, they can be small or large, they
can occur in any artery but are common in the aorta and arteries in the brain and AAAs
can occur anywhere along its length
✔✔what is an aneurism that occurs in the part of the aorta through the chest called? -
✔✔thoracic aortic aneurysm
✔✔what is the most common cause of an aortic aneurysms - ✔✔artheroslerosis - fatty
deposits laid down in walls of arteries making them weaker. you are higher risk of this if
you smoke, have high BP or cholesterol, obesity and family history
✔✔what happens if an aortic aneurysm dissects or ruptures? - ✔✔a large amount of
blood can be lost from circulations very quickly
✔✔what are symptoms of aortic rupture or dissection - ✔✔can go into shock,
extreme/constant/sudden pain, nausea or vomiting, or little to no pain but a sense that
something is very wrong
✔✔what are the two parts to the nervous system? - ✔✔the central nervous system -
brain and spinal cord
the peripheral nervous system - nerves that connect the central nervous system to the
body
, ✔✔what is the brain protected by? - ✔✔3 tough membranes, clear fluid between brain
and meninges and a bony case
✔✔what happens when the body is unconscious? - ✔✔basic survival mechanisms such
as keeping airway open may not function - the tongue may fall back
✔✔what impaired consciousness? - ✔✔a situation where a person is anything less than
fully conscious
✔✔what are signs someone has impaired consciousness? - ✔✔uncoordinated, drowsy,
confused, slow, difficulty speaking
✔✔what is a fit? - ✔✔involuntary spasms of many muscles in the body due to electrical
disturbance in brain
✔✔what are causes of a fit? - ✔✔epilepsy, fever, head injury, infections of the CNS,
lack of oxygen/glucose, poisoning
✔✔what is an aura? - ✔✔distinctive feeling or warning sign that a seizure is on its way
✔✔what is a faint? - ✔✔a sudden, temporary loss of consciousness for up to 2 minutes
usually due to reduction of blood flow to the brain affecting oxygen and glucose levels.
✔✔what is meningitis? - ✔✔meninges become inflammed by bacteria or viruses
✔✔symptoms of meningitis in babies/infants - ✔✔fever, vomiting, sleepy, ill
appearance, irritable, floppy and unresponsive, unusual crying, pale and blotchy skin,
bulging fontanelle, cold hands/feet
✔✔symptoms of meningitis in babies in children and adults - ✔✔severe headache,
fever, nausea and vomiting, ill appearance, altered mental state, seizures/fits, unable to
tolerate bright lights, stiff next, rapid breathing, severe muscle pain
✔✔some bacterial that causes meningitis can cause sepsis - true or false? - ✔✔true
✔✔what causes sepsis? - ✔✔when bacteria enters the blood stream where they
multiply quickly and release endotoxins from their outer coating.
✔✔what does a meningitis rash look like? - ✔✔tiny pin pricks over the body then into
looking like bruises.
✔✔why do we ask callers not to do the glass test? - ✔✔it waste valuable time
