WGU D115 OA ADVANCED
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY EXAM 2025 | ACTUAL
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES AND A
READINESS PRACTICE EXAM TEST BANK
WITH A STUDY GUIDE | LATEST UPDATED
AND VERIFIED FOR GUARANTEED PA
A mother rushes her toddler into the emergency department stating, "My baby can't
breathe." Initial assessment reveals the child is struggling to breathe in an upright
position. He has both inspiratory and expiratory stridor and is using his chest muscles to
breathe. The nurse suspects the child has which of the following acute respiratory
infections?
A. Bronchiolitis
B. Croup
C. Asthma
D. Epiglottitis
Epiglottitis
A college student is training for a marathon in the mountains. One day, she experiences
a sharp pain and suddenly becomes short of breath. At the emergency room, a chest x-
ray reveals a spontaneous pneumothorax. The client asks the nurse to explain why this
happened. The nurse states, "For unknown reasons, you lose intrapleural negative
pressure.
A. You must have coughed too forcibly and your air sacs burst."
B. This means your lungs collapse and expel its air when you lose negative pressure."
C. You must have a genetic anomaly causing weakened alveolar sacs to rupture."
D. You must have experienced a forced expiration against a closed glottis to cause the
lung to deflate."
B. This means your lungs collapse and expel its air when you lose negative pressure.
,When educating a client with possible glucocorticoid dysfunction, the nurse will explain
that the CRH controls the release of ACTH. The best time to perform the blood test to
measure peak ACTH levels would be:
A. 04:00 to 6:00 PM
B. 10:00 to 12:00 AM
C. 09:00 to 11:00 PM
D. 06:00 to 08:00 AM
D. 06:00 to 08:00 AM
A client with a long history of cigarette smoking and poorly controlled hypertension has
experienced recent psychomotor deficits as a result of hemorrhagic brain damage. The
client's psychomotor deficits are likely the result of:
A. Vascular dementia
B. Alzheimer disease
C. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
D. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
A. Vascular dementia
Which of the following clients would be considered high risk for falling and fracturing a
hip?
A. An 81-year-old female taking medication for chronic osteoporosis
B. A 36-year-old female whose diet consists of excessive sugar intake
C. A 77-year-old male with hearing impairment and corrective eye lenses
D. A 54-year-old male with obesity and short stature
A. An 81-year-old female taking medication for chronic osteoporosis
,The most common causes of left-sided heart failure include:
A. Chronic pulmonary disease
B. Impaired renal blood flow
C. Tricuspid valve regurgitation
D. Acute myocardial infarction
While lecturing on blood pressure, the nurse will emphasize that the body maintains its
blood pressure by adjusting the cardiac output to compensate for changes in which of
the following physiologic processes?
A. Release of stress hormones
B. Peripheral vascular resistance
C. Rigidity of the ventricular walls
D. Electrical impulses in the heart
B. Peripheral vascular resistance
Which of the following clients should most likely be assessed for orthostatic
hypotension?
A. A 78-year-old woman who has begun complaining of frequent headaches unrelieved
by over-the-counter analgesics
B. An 80-year-old elderly client who has experienced two falls since admission while
attempting to ambulate to the bathroom
C. A 42-year-old client who has a history of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes
D. A 65-year-old client whose vision has become much less acute in recent months and
who has noticed swelling in her ankles
B. An 80-year-old woman who has experienced two falls since admission while
attempting to ambulate to the bathroom
One of the principal mechanisms by which the heart compensates for increased
workload is:
A. Endothelin vasoconstrictors
B. Ventricular wall tension increase
C. Myocardial hypertrophy
D. Sodium and water retention
C. Myocardial hypertrophy
, A client with heart failure asks, "Why am I taking a 'water pill' when it's my heart that is
having a problem?" While educating the client about the Frank-Starling mechanism,
which of the following explanations is most appropriate to share?
A. "Your heart muscle is overstretched, so it's not able to pump all the blood out. The
prescribed 'water pills' help by decreasing your weight."
B. "Since your heart function is impaired, the lungs are not able to oxygenate the blood
and your kidneys are wearing out."
C. "You must be drinking way too many liquids. Your kidneys cannot filter all that you
are drinking during the day."
D. "Since your heart is not pumping efficiently, the kidneys are getting less blood flow;
therefore, the kidneys are holding on to sodium and water."
D. "Since your heart is not pumping efficiently, the kidneys are getting less blood flow;
therefore, the kidneys are holding on to sodium and water
If the parasympathetic neurotransmitter releases acetylcholine, the nurse should
anticipate observing what changes in the ECG pattern?
A. Slowing of heart rate to below 60 beats/minute
B. Disorganized ventricular fibrillation
C. Complete cardiac standstill
D. Heart rate 150 beats/minute, labeled as supraventricular tachycardia
A. Slowing of heart rate to below 60 beats/minute
A client with a history of emphysema from long-term cigarette smoking has lost a lot of
alveoli. When comparing the type I alveolar cell physiologic function with the primary
role of type II alveoli, the nurse would be aware that the type II alveoli are responsible
for:
A. Gas exchange
B. Facilitation of bronchial circulation
C. Production of surfactant
D. Production of macrophages
C. Production of surfactant
Which of the following clients is at risk for developing a preventable disorder related to
prolonged immobility?
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY EXAM 2025 | ACTUAL
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES AND A
READINESS PRACTICE EXAM TEST BANK
WITH A STUDY GUIDE | LATEST UPDATED
AND VERIFIED FOR GUARANTEED PA
A mother rushes her toddler into the emergency department stating, "My baby can't
breathe." Initial assessment reveals the child is struggling to breathe in an upright
position. He has both inspiratory and expiratory stridor and is using his chest muscles to
breathe. The nurse suspects the child has which of the following acute respiratory
infections?
A. Bronchiolitis
B. Croup
C. Asthma
D. Epiglottitis
Epiglottitis
A college student is training for a marathon in the mountains. One day, she experiences
a sharp pain and suddenly becomes short of breath. At the emergency room, a chest x-
ray reveals a spontaneous pneumothorax. The client asks the nurse to explain why this
happened. The nurse states, "For unknown reasons, you lose intrapleural negative
pressure.
A. You must have coughed too forcibly and your air sacs burst."
B. This means your lungs collapse and expel its air when you lose negative pressure."
C. You must have a genetic anomaly causing weakened alveolar sacs to rupture."
D. You must have experienced a forced expiration against a closed glottis to cause the
lung to deflate."
B. This means your lungs collapse and expel its air when you lose negative pressure.
,When educating a client with possible glucocorticoid dysfunction, the nurse will explain
that the CRH controls the release of ACTH. The best time to perform the blood test to
measure peak ACTH levels would be:
A. 04:00 to 6:00 PM
B. 10:00 to 12:00 AM
C. 09:00 to 11:00 PM
D. 06:00 to 08:00 AM
D. 06:00 to 08:00 AM
A client with a long history of cigarette smoking and poorly controlled hypertension has
experienced recent psychomotor deficits as a result of hemorrhagic brain damage. The
client's psychomotor deficits are likely the result of:
A. Vascular dementia
B. Alzheimer disease
C. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
D. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
A. Vascular dementia
Which of the following clients would be considered high risk for falling and fracturing a
hip?
A. An 81-year-old female taking medication for chronic osteoporosis
B. A 36-year-old female whose diet consists of excessive sugar intake
C. A 77-year-old male with hearing impairment and corrective eye lenses
D. A 54-year-old male with obesity and short stature
A. An 81-year-old female taking medication for chronic osteoporosis
,The most common causes of left-sided heart failure include:
A. Chronic pulmonary disease
B. Impaired renal blood flow
C. Tricuspid valve regurgitation
D. Acute myocardial infarction
While lecturing on blood pressure, the nurse will emphasize that the body maintains its
blood pressure by adjusting the cardiac output to compensate for changes in which of
the following physiologic processes?
A. Release of stress hormones
B. Peripheral vascular resistance
C. Rigidity of the ventricular walls
D. Electrical impulses in the heart
B. Peripheral vascular resistance
Which of the following clients should most likely be assessed for orthostatic
hypotension?
A. A 78-year-old woman who has begun complaining of frequent headaches unrelieved
by over-the-counter analgesics
B. An 80-year-old elderly client who has experienced two falls since admission while
attempting to ambulate to the bathroom
C. A 42-year-old client who has a history of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes
D. A 65-year-old client whose vision has become much less acute in recent months and
who has noticed swelling in her ankles
B. An 80-year-old woman who has experienced two falls since admission while
attempting to ambulate to the bathroom
One of the principal mechanisms by which the heart compensates for increased
workload is:
A. Endothelin vasoconstrictors
B. Ventricular wall tension increase
C. Myocardial hypertrophy
D. Sodium and water retention
C. Myocardial hypertrophy
, A client with heart failure asks, "Why am I taking a 'water pill' when it's my heart that is
having a problem?" While educating the client about the Frank-Starling mechanism,
which of the following explanations is most appropriate to share?
A. "Your heart muscle is overstretched, so it's not able to pump all the blood out. The
prescribed 'water pills' help by decreasing your weight."
B. "Since your heart function is impaired, the lungs are not able to oxygenate the blood
and your kidneys are wearing out."
C. "You must be drinking way too many liquids. Your kidneys cannot filter all that you
are drinking during the day."
D. "Since your heart is not pumping efficiently, the kidneys are getting less blood flow;
therefore, the kidneys are holding on to sodium and water."
D. "Since your heart is not pumping efficiently, the kidneys are getting less blood flow;
therefore, the kidneys are holding on to sodium and water
If the parasympathetic neurotransmitter releases acetylcholine, the nurse should
anticipate observing what changes in the ECG pattern?
A. Slowing of heart rate to below 60 beats/minute
B. Disorganized ventricular fibrillation
C. Complete cardiac standstill
D. Heart rate 150 beats/minute, labeled as supraventricular tachycardia
A. Slowing of heart rate to below 60 beats/minute
A client with a history of emphysema from long-term cigarette smoking has lost a lot of
alveoli. When comparing the type I alveolar cell physiologic function with the primary
role of type II alveoli, the nurse would be aware that the type II alveoli are responsible
for:
A. Gas exchange
B. Facilitation of bronchial circulation
C. Production of surfactant
D. Production of macrophages
C. Production of surfactant
Which of the following clients is at risk for developing a preventable disorder related to
prolonged immobility?
