ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
MIDTERM NUR 6501 WALDEN
UNIVERSITY - COMPLETE ACTUAL
EXAM - 150+ QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS –
2025-2026
A 4-year-old child appears listless for the last week. He complains of pain when he is
picked up by his mother, and he is irritable when touching his arms or legs. Several
large ecchymotic lesions have appeared on his right thigh and left shoulder. A complete
blood count reveals a HgB=10.2, Hct=30.5%, MCV=96fL, platelet count of 45,000/ML,
and WBC count of 13,990/ML. Examination of the peripheral blood smear reveals
numerous blasts. The blasts lack peroxidase-positive granules but do contain periodic
acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive aggregates and stain positively for TdT. Flow cytometry
shows the phenotype of blasts to be CD19+, CD3-, and sIg-. What is the most likely
diagnosis?
A. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
B. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
C. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
D. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) - answerAcute lymphblastic leukemia
A 3-year-old child of Italian ancestry presents with failure to thrive. Physical examination
indicates hepatosplenomegaly. His hemoglobin concentration is 6 g/dL, and the
peripheral blood smear reveals severely hypochromic microcytic red cells. Total serum
iron level is normal. The reticulocyte count is 10%. Hemoglobin electrophoresis shows
very little hemoglobin A. A radiograph of the skull shows maxillofacial deformities. What
is the principle cause of anemia and other abnormalities in this patient?
A. Reduced synthesis of hemoglobin F
B. Reduced red blood cell survival from imbalance in the production of alpha and beta
globin chains
C. Relative deficiency of vitamin B12
D. Increased fragility of the erythrocyte membrane - answerReduced synthesis of
hemoglobin F
A 68-year-old previously healthy female has been feeling increasingly tired and weak for
several months. She states that she has had black, tarry stools for several weeks. She
,is found to be anemic with a hemoglobin concentration of 9.3g/dL. The peripheral blood
smear reveals microcytic and hypochromic blood cells. Which of the following conditions
should be suspected as the most likely of her condition as indicated by the peripheral
blood smear?
A. Aplastic anemia
B. Beta thalassemia
C. Gastrointestinal blood loss
D. Pernicious anemia - answerGastrointestinal blood loss
A 76-year-old female notices that small, pinpoint to blotchy areas of superficial
hemorrhage have appeared on her gums and on the skin of her arms and legs over
several weeks. She is found to have a normal prothrombin time(PT) and partial
thromboplastin time (PTT). Her CBC shows hemoglobin concentration of 12.7 g/dL,
hematocrit of 37.2%. MCV of 80 fL/red cell, platelet count of 276,000/microliter, and
WBC of 5600/microliter. Her template bleeding time is 3 minutes. Her fibrinogen level is
normal, and there are no fibrin split products detectable. Which of the following
conditions best explain these findings?
A. Chronic renal failure
B. Macronodular cirrhosis
C. Vitamin B12 deficiency
D. Vitamin C deficiency - answerVitamin C deficiency
A young adult patient has just been diagnosed with Von Willebrand disease. Which of
the following statements should you make to advise the patient of potential
consequences of this disease?
A. You may need an allogeneic bone marrow transplant
B. You may have excessive bleeding following tooth extraction
C. A splenectomy may be necessary to control the disease
D. Expect increasing difficulties with joint mobility - answerYou may have excessive
bleeding following tooth extraction
Low dose aspirin is commonly used to reduce the risk of arterial thrombosis in patients
who have suffered a myocardial infarction. Which one of the following steps in
homeostasis is inhibited by aspirin?
A. Synthesis of von Willebrand factor
B. Aggregation of platelets
C. Activation of factor Xa
D. Synthesis of antithrombin III - answerAggregation of platelets
A 24-year-old presents to the office with fatigue. On physical exam, the NP notices that
she ispale with the following vital signs: HR 112, BP 98/64, resp 20, O2 sats 99%. Her
, CBC shows: WBC6,000, Hemoglobin 9.6, Hematocrit 30.2, MCV is decreased at 76.
What is the mostly likely causeof this patient's anemia?
A. Iron deficiency anemia caused by menstruation
B. Beta Thalassemia of genetic origin
C. Pernicious anemia caused by dietary deficiency
D. Folate deficiency caused by alcoholism - answerIron deficiency anemia caused by
menstruation
A 65-year-old female presents to your office complaining of fatigue. She has a long of
rheumatoid arthritis. A CBC reveals the following: Hgb=11.6 g/dL, Hct=34.8%, MCV=87
fL/red cell, platelet count of 268,000/microliter, and WBC count of 6800/microliter. The
serum haptoglobin level is normal, and the serum iron concentration is 20
micrograms/dL. The total iron binding capacity is 195 micrograms/dL, and the percent
saturation is 10.2. The serum ferritin concentration is 317 ng/mL. No fibrin split products
are detected. The reticulocyte concentration is 1.1%. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Beta- thalassemia major
B. Anemia of chronic disease
C. Acute blood loss anemia
D. Iron deficiency anemia - answerAnemia of chronic disease
A 14-year-old male presents with high fever for ten days. Physical examination reveals
scattered petechial hemorrhages but is negative for enlargement of the liver or spleen
or lymph nodes. Bone marrow examination does not show any abnormal cells. The
complete blood count (CBC) demonstrates a hemoglobin concentration (HgB) of 13.2
g/dL, hematocrit (Hct) of 38.9%, mean cell volume (MCV) of 93 fL, platelet count of
175,000/microliter, and white blood cell (WBC) count of 1850/microliter, with the
differential count showing 1 segmented neutrophil, 98 lymphocytes, and 1 monocyte per
100 WBCs. What is the most likely cause of these findings?
A. Overwhelming bacterial infection
B. Acute lymphocytic (or lymphoblastic) leukemia
C. Acute myeloid leukemia
D. Aplastic anemia - answerOverwhelming bacterial infection
A 31-year-old male has a history of chronic anemia and painful crises with joint and
abdominal pain. A head computed tomography (CT) scan reveals several small remote
infarctions. During one of these acute crises, he is admitted with severe dyspnea. A
CBC is performed. Which of the following morphologic findings for RBCs is most likely
to be seen on the peripheral blood smear?
A. Tear drop cells
B. Schistocytes
C. Sickle cells
D. Spherocytes - answerSickle cells
MIDTERM NUR 6501 WALDEN
UNIVERSITY - COMPLETE ACTUAL
EXAM - 150+ QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS –
2025-2026
A 4-year-old child appears listless for the last week. He complains of pain when he is
picked up by his mother, and he is irritable when touching his arms or legs. Several
large ecchymotic lesions have appeared on his right thigh and left shoulder. A complete
blood count reveals a HgB=10.2, Hct=30.5%, MCV=96fL, platelet count of 45,000/ML,
and WBC count of 13,990/ML. Examination of the peripheral blood smear reveals
numerous blasts. The blasts lack peroxidase-positive granules but do contain periodic
acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive aggregates and stain positively for TdT. Flow cytometry
shows the phenotype of blasts to be CD19+, CD3-, and sIg-. What is the most likely
diagnosis?
A. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
B. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
C. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
D. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) - answerAcute lymphblastic leukemia
A 3-year-old child of Italian ancestry presents with failure to thrive. Physical examination
indicates hepatosplenomegaly. His hemoglobin concentration is 6 g/dL, and the
peripheral blood smear reveals severely hypochromic microcytic red cells. Total serum
iron level is normal. The reticulocyte count is 10%. Hemoglobin electrophoresis shows
very little hemoglobin A. A radiograph of the skull shows maxillofacial deformities. What
is the principle cause of anemia and other abnormalities in this patient?
A. Reduced synthesis of hemoglobin F
B. Reduced red blood cell survival from imbalance in the production of alpha and beta
globin chains
C. Relative deficiency of vitamin B12
D. Increased fragility of the erythrocyte membrane - answerReduced synthesis of
hemoglobin F
A 68-year-old previously healthy female has been feeling increasingly tired and weak for
several months. She states that she has had black, tarry stools for several weeks. She
,is found to be anemic with a hemoglobin concentration of 9.3g/dL. The peripheral blood
smear reveals microcytic and hypochromic blood cells. Which of the following conditions
should be suspected as the most likely of her condition as indicated by the peripheral
blood smear?
A. Aplastic anemia
B. Beta thalassemia
C. Gastrointestinal blood loss
D. Pernicious anemia - answerGastrointestinal blood loss
A 76-year-old female notices that small, pinpoint to blotchy areas of superficial
hemorrhage have appeared on her gums and on the skin of her arms and legs over
several weeks. She is found to have a normal prothrombin time(PT) and partial
thromboplastin time (PTT). Her CBC shows hemoglobin concentration of 12.7 g/dL,
hematocrit of 37.2%. MCV of 80 fL/red cell, platelet count of 276,000/microliter, and
WBC of 5600/microliter. Her template bleeding time is 3 minutes. Her fibrinogen level is
normal, and there are no fibrin split products detectable. Which of the following
conditions best explain these findings?
A. Chronic renal failure
B. Macronodular cirrhosis
C. Vitamin B12 deficiency
D. Vitamin C deficiency - answerVitamin C deficiency
A young adult patient has just been diagnosed with Von Willebrand disease. Which of
the following statements should you make to advise the patient of potential
consequences of this disease?
A. You may need an allogeneic bone marrow transplant
B. You may have excessive bleeding following tooth extraction
C. A splenectomy may be necessary to control the disease
D. Expect increasing difficulties with joint mobility - answerYou may have excessive
bleeding following tooth extraction
Low dose aspirin is commonly used to reduce the risk of arterial thrombosis in patients
who have suffered a myocardial infarction. Which one of the following steps in
homeostasis is inhibited by aspirin?
A. Synthesis of von Willebrand factor
B. Aggregation of platelets
C. Activation of factor Xa
D. Synthesis of antithrombin III - answerAggregation of platelets
A 24-year-old presents to the office with fatigue. On physical exam, the NP notices that
she ispale with the following vital signs: HR 112, BP 98/64, resp 20, O2 sats 99%. Her
, CBC shows: WBC6,000, Hemoglobin 9.6, Hematocrit 30.2, MCV is decreased at 76.
What is the mostly likely causeof this patient's anemia?
A. Iron deficiency anemia caused by menstruation
B. Beta Thalassemia of genetic origin
C. Pernicious anemia caused by dietary deficiency
D. Folate deficiency caused by alcoholism - answerIron deficiency anemia caused by
menstruation
A 65-year-old female presents to your office complaining of fatigue. She has a long of
rheumatoid arthritis. A CBC reveals the following: Hgb=11.6 g/dL, Hct=34.8%, MCV=87
fL/red cell, platelet count of 268,000/microliter, and WBC count of 6800/microliter. The
serum haptoglobin level is normal, and the serum iron concentration is 20
micrograms/dL. The total iron binding capacity is 195 micrograms/dL, and the percent
saturation is 10.2. The serum ferritin concentration is 317 ng/mL. No fibrin split products
are detected. The reticulocyte concentration is 1.1%. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Beta- thalassemia major
B. Anemia of chronic disease
C. Acute blood loss anemia
D. Iron deficiency anemia - answerAnemia of chronic disease
A 14-year-old male presents with high fever for ten days. Physical examination reveals
scattered petechial hemorrhages but is negative for enlargement of the liver or spleen
or lymph nodes. Bone marrow examination does not show any abnormal cells. The
complete blood count (CBC) demonstrates a hemoglobin concentration (HgB) of 13.2
g/dL, hematocrit (Hct) of 38.9%, mean cell volume (MCV) of 93 fL, platelet count of
175,000/microliter, and white blood cell (WBC) count of 1850/microliter, with the
differential count showing 1 segmented neutrophil, 98 lymphocytes, and 1 monocyte per
100 WBCs. What is the most likely cause of these findings?
A. Overwhelming bacterial infection
B. Acute lymphocytic (or lymphoblastic) leukemia
C. Acute myeloid leukemia
D. Aplastic anemia - answerOverwhelming bacterial infection
A 31-year-old male has a history of chronic anemia and painful crises with joint and
abdominal pain. A head computed tomography (CT) scan reveals several small remote
infarctions. During one of these acute crises, he is admitted with severe dyspnea. A
CBC is performed. Which of the following morphologic findings for RBCs is most likely
to be seen on the peripheral blood smear?
A. Tear drop cells
B. Schistocytes
C. Sickle cells
D. Spherocytes - answerSickle cells
