GMS6402 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2025/2026
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
✔✔with respect to surfactant, all of the following are true EXCEPT...
•it is produced by the type 1 epithelial cells
•it is a mixture of lipids, proteins, and ions
•it reduces surface tension at the air:water interface
•it decreases the rigid structure of water molecules
•it decreases the work of breathing - ✔✔
✔✔according to the henderson-hasselbalch equation, if PaCO2 decreases to 20 mm
Hg, then arterial pH will...
•stay the same
•decrease
•increase
•all of the above
•none of the above - ✔✔increase
✔✔a 74 year old moderately dehydrated man was admitted with a two day history of
acute severe diarrhea. ABGs are as follows, pH = 7.31, PaCO2 = 33 mmHg, PaO2 = 98
mm Hg, and HCO3- = 16 mM. the most likely diagnosis is...
•metabolic alkalosis with respiratory compensation
•metabolic acidosis with respiratory compensation
•metabolic acidosis without respiratory compensation
•respiratory acidosis with metabolic compensation
•respiratory acidosis without metabolic compensation - ✔✔metabolic acidosis with
respiratory compensation
✔✔in late stage pulmonary edema, the ventilation to perfusion (V/Q) ratio will...
•increase
•decrease
•stay the same
•all of the above - ✔✔decrease
✔✔true or false; in the henderson-hasselbalch equation, HCO3- is in the denominator.
•true
•false - ✔✔false
✔✔the respiratory center that controls INSPIRATION is the...
, •supine respiratory group (SRG)
•lateral respiratory group (LRG)
•dorsal respiratory group (DRG)
•ventral respiratory group (VRG)
•zona respiratory group (ZRG) - ✔✔dorsal respiratory group (DRG)
✔✔within peripheral chemoreceptors, the response to a drop in PaO2 is greater when...
•the central chemoreceptors are also responding do a drop in arterial PaO2
•the central chemoreceptors are responding to an increase in PaO2
•arterial PaCO2 is also below normal
•arterial PaCO2 is above normal
•arterial PaCO2 is normal - ✔✔arterial PaCO2 is above normal
✔✔true or false; generally, the central and peripheral chemoreceptors work to
antagonize
one another.
•true
•false - ✔✔false
✔✔true or false; the central chemoreceptor becomes desensitized to CO2 under
anesthesia.
•true
•false - ✔✔true
✔✔ the vast majority of the total surface area of the lung is found in the...
•trachea
•segmental bronchi
•terminal bronchioles
•alveoli - ✔✔alveoli
✔✔all of the following can be measured via spirometry EXCEPT...
•tidal volume (TV)
•vital capacity (VC)
•functional residual capacity (FRC)
•inspiratory capacity (IC)
•expiratory reserve volume (ERV) - ✔✔functional residual capacity (FRC)
✔✔which of the following is a muscle that is used for expiration?
•sternocleidomastoid
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
✔✔with respect to surfactant, all of the following are true EXCEPT...
•it is produced by the type 1 epithelial cells
•it is a mixture of lipids, proteins, and ions
•it reduces surface tension at the air:water interface
•it decreases the rigid structure of water molecules
•it decreases the work of breathing - ✔✔
✔✔according to the henderson-hasselbalch equation, if PaCO2 decreases to 20 mm
Hg, then arterial pH will...
•stay the same
•decrease
•increase
•all of the above
•none of the above - ✔✔increase
✔✔a 74 year old moderately dehydrated man was admitted with a two day history of
acute severe diarrhea. ABGs are as follows, pH = 7.31, PaCO2 = 33 mmHg, PaO2 = 98
mm Hg, and HCO3- = 16 mM. the most likely diagnosis is...
•metabolic alkalosis with respiratory compensation
•metabolic acidosis with respiratory compensation
•metabolic acidosis without respiratory compensation
•respiratory acidosis with metabolic compensation
•respiratory acidosis without metabolic compensation - ✔✔metabolic acidosis with
respiratory compensation
✔✔in late stage pulmonary edema, the ventilation to perfusion (V/Q) ratio will...
•increase
•decrease
•stay the same
•all of the above - ✔✔decrease
✔✔true or false; in the henderson-hasselbalch equation, HCO3- is in the denominator.
•true
•false - ✔✔false
✔✔the respiratory center that controls INSPIRATION is the...
, •supine respiratory group (SRG)
•lateral respiratory group (LRG)
•dorsal respiratory group (DRG)
•ventral respiratory group (VRG)
•zona respiratory group (ZRG) - ✔✔dorsal respiratory group (DRG)
✔✔within peripheral chemoreceptors, the response to a drop in PaO2 is greater when...
•the central chemoreceptors are also responding do a drop in arterial PaO2
•the central chemoreceptors are responding to an increase in PaO2
•arterial PaCO2 is also below normal
•arterial PaCO2 is above normal
•arterial PaCO2 is normal - ✔✔arterial PaCO2 is above normal
✔✔true or false; generally, the central and peripheral chemoreceptors work to
antagonize
one another.
•true
•false - ✔✔false
✔✔true or false; the central chemoreceptor becomes desensitized to CO2 under
anesthesia.
•true
•false - ✔✔true
✔✔ the vast majority of the total surface area of the lung is found in the...
•trachea
•segmental bronchi
•terminal bronchioles
•alveoli - ✔✔alveoli
✔✔all of the following can be measured via spirometry EXCEPT...
•tidal volume (TV)
•vital capacity (VC)
•functional residual capacity (FRC)
•inspiratory capacity (IC)
•expiratory reserve volume (ERV) - ✔✔functional residual capacity (FRC)
✔✔which of the following is a muscle that is used for expiration?
•sternocleidomastoid
