Pathophysiology Exam 1 Sample Questions with
Complete Solutions
A report comes back indicating that muscular atrophy has occurred. A nurse recalls that muscular
atrophy involves a decrease in muscle cell:
a. number
b. size
c. vacuoles
d. lipofuscin - Correct Answer B. Size
During childhood, the thymus decreases in size, and this is referred to as what type of atrophy?
a. Physiologic
b. Pathologic
c. Disuse
d. Neurogenic - Correct Answer A. Physiologic
When planning care for a cardiac patient, the nurse knows that in response to an increased
workload, cardiac myocardial cells will experience hypertrophy which is an:
a. increase in size
b. decrease in length
c. increase in excitability
d. decrease in number - Correct Answer A. Increase in size
A 55-year-old male with a 30-year history of smoking is examined for respiratory disturbance.
Examination of his airway (bronchial) reveals that stratified squamous epithelial cells have replaced
the normal columnar ciliated cells. This type of cellular adaption is called:
a. anaplasia
b. hyperplasia
c. metaplasia
d. dysplasia - Correct Answer C. Metaplasia
When planning care for the pregnant patient, the nurse will recall that the mammary glands enlarge
as a consequence of:
,a. compensatory hyperplasia
b. hormonal hyperplasia
c. hormonal anaplasia
d. compensatory anaplasia - Correct Answer B. Hormonal hyperplasia
A 24-year-old female presents with excessive menstrual bleeding. The physician identified
endometrial changes that are due to hormonal imbalances. These cellular changes would be referred
to as:
a. dysplasia
b. pathologic dysplasia
c. hyperplasia
d. pathologic hyperplas - Correct Answer D. Pathologic hyperplasia
A 55-year-old male is diagnosed with hepatocellular cancer secondary to hepatitis C. If the cancerous
region of his liver is removed, the remaining cells would undergo:
a. pathologic hyperplasia
b. pathologic metaplasia
c. compensatory hyperplasia
d. compensatory aplasia - Correct Answer C. Compensatory hyperplasia
A 40-year-old female's Pap smear indicates abnormal changes in the shape and organization of
cervical cells. Which term would be used to identify this type of change?
a. Metaplasia
b. Atrophy
c. Hypertrophy
d. Dysplasia - Correct Answer D. Dyspalsia
A 75-year-old male presents with chest pain on exertion. The chest pain is most likely due to hypoxic
injury secondary to:
a. malnutrition
b. free radicals
c. ischemia
d. chemical toxicity - Correct Answer C. Ischemia
,A patient has a heart attack that leads to progressive cell injury that causes cell death with severe cell
swelling and breakdown of organelles. What term would the nurse use to define this process?
a. Adaptation
b. Calcification
c. Apoptosis
D. Necrosis - Correct Answer D. Necrosis
Sodium and water accumulation in an injured cell are a direct result of:
a. decreased ATP production
b. karyorrhexis
c. ribosome detachment
d. dehydration - Correct Answer A. Decreased ATP production
The early dilation (swelling) of the cell's endoplasmic reticulum results in:
a. increased aerobic metabolism
b. failure of DNA
c. reduced protein synthesis
d. increase Na+ - K+ pump function - Correct Answer C. Reduced protein synthesis
A 52-year-old male suffered a myocardial infarction secondary to atherosclerosis and ischemia. Once
blood flow is returned to the damaged heart, reperfusion injury occurs as a result of:
a. oxidative stress
b. vacuolation
c. decreased intracellular calcium
d. lipid acceptor proteins - Correct Answer A. Oxidative stress
A family presents to their primary care provider reporting headache, nausea, weakness, tinnitus, and
vomiting. Which of the following would be the most likely expression for these symptoms?
a. Lead exposure
b. Carbon monoxide poisoning
c. Ethanol exposure
, d. Mercury poisoning - Correct Answer B. Carbon monoxide poisoning
A common pathway of irreversible cell injury involved increased intracellular:
a. sodium
b. potassium
c. magnesium
d. calcium - Correct Answer D. Calcium
A 50-year-old male sustained a closed head injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. CT scan
revealed a collection of blood between the inner surface of the dura mater and the surface of the
brain. Which type of injury will the nurse be caring for?
a. Subdural hematoma
b. Epidural hematoma
c. Contusion
d. Abrasion - Correct Answer A. Subdural hematoma
A 20-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a jagged sharp-force injury that is
longer than it is deep. What type of wound would the nurse be caring for?
a. Stab wound
b. Incised wound
c. Puncture wound
d. Chopping wound - Correct Answer B. Incised wound
A 30-year-old female presents with a gunshot wound to the head. The wound has seared edges and
a deep penetration of smoke and gunpowder fragments. This wound would be documented as a(n):
a. exit
b. intermediate range entrance
c. contact range entrance
d. indeterminate range entrance - Correct Answer C. Contact range entrance
A 15-year-old female presents to the ER following a physical assault. She has internal damage to the
neck with deep bruising. X-ray reveals fractures of the hyoid bone and tracheal and cricoid cartilage.
Which of the following most likely caused her injuries?
Complete Solutions
A report comes back indicating that muscular atrophy has occurred. A nurse recalls that muscular
atrophy involves a decrease in muscle cell:
a. number
b. size
c. vacuoles
d. lipofuscin - Correct Answer B. Size
During childhood, the thymus decreases in size, and this is referred to as what type of atrophy?
a. Physiologic
b. Pathologic
c. Disuse
d. Neurogenic - Correct Answer A. Physiologic
When planning care for a cardiac patient, the nurse knows that in response to an increased
workload, cardiac myocardial cells will experience hypertrophy which is an:
a. increase in size
b. decrease in length
c. increase in excitability
d. decrease in number - Correct Answer A. Increase in size
A 55-year-old male with a 30-year history of smoking is examined for respiratory disturbance.
Examination of his airway (bronchial) reveals that stratified squamous epithelial cells have replaced
the normal columnar ciliated cells. This type of cellular adaption is called:
a. anaplasia
b. hyperplasia
c. metaplasia
d. dysplasia - Correct Answer C. Metaplasia
When planning care for the pregnant patient, the nurse will recall that the mammary glands enlarge
as a consequence of:
,a. compensatory hyperplasia
b. hormonal hyperplasia
c. hormonal anaplasia
d. compensatory anaplasia - Correct Answer B. Hormonal hyperplasia
A 24-year-old female presents with excessive menstrual bleeding. The physician identified
endometrial changes that are due to hormonal imbalances. These cellular changes would be referred
to as:
a. dysplasia
b. pathologic dysplasia
c. hyperplasia
d. pathologic hyperplas - Correct Answer D. Pathologic hyperplasia
A 55-year-old male is diagnosed with hepatocellular cancer secondary to hepatitis C. If the cancerous
region of his liver is removed, the remaining cells would undergo:
a. pathologic hyperplasia
b. pathologic metaplasia
c. compensatory hyperplasia
d. compensatory aplasia - Correct Answer C. Compensatory hyperplasia
A 40-year-old female's Pap smear indicates abnormal changes in the shape and organization of
cervical cells. Which term would be used to identify this type of change?
a. Metaplasia
b. Atrophy
c. Hypertrophy
d. Dysplasia - Correct Answer D. Dyspalsia
A 75-year-old male presents with chest pain on exertion. The chest pain is most likely due to hypoxic
injury secondary to:
a. malnutrition
b. free radicals
c. ischemia
d. chemical toxicity - Correct Answer C. Ischemia
,A patient has a heart attack that leads to progressive cell injury that causes cell death with severe cell
swelling and breakdown of organelles. What term would the nurse use to define this process?
a. Adaptation
b. Calcification
c. Apoptosis
D. Necrosis - Correct Answer D. Necrosis
Sodium and water accumulation in an injured cell are a direct result of:
a. decreased ATP production
b. karyorrhexis
c. ribosome detachment
d. dehydration - Correct Answer A. Decreased ATP production
The early dilation (swelling) of the cell's endoplasmic reticulum results in:
a. increased aerobic metabolism
b. failure of DNA
c. reduced protein synthesis
d. increase Na+ - K+ pump function - Correct Answer C. Reduced protein synthesis
A 52-year-old male suffered a myocardial infarction secondary to atherosclerosis and ischemia. Once
blood flow is returned to the damaged heart, reperfusion injury occurs as a result of:
a. oxidative stress
b. vacuolation
c. decreased intracellular calcium
d. lipid acceptor proteins - Correct Answer A. Oxidative stress
A family presents to their primary care provider reporting headache, nausea, weakness, tinnitus, and
vomiting. Which of the following would be the most likely expression for these symptoms?
a. Lead exposure
b. Carbon monoxide poisoning
c. Ethanol exposure
, d. Mercury poisoning - Correct Answer B. Carbon monoxide poisoning
A common pathway of irreversible cell injury involved increased intracellular:
a. sodium
b. potassium
c. magnesium
d. calcium - Correct Answer D. Calcium
A 50-year-old male sustained a closed head injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. CT scan
revealed a collection of blood between the inner surface of the dura mater and the surface of the
brain. Which type of injury will the nurse be caring for?
a. Subdural hematoma
b. Epidural hematoma
c. Contusion
d. Abrasion - Correct Answer A. Subdural hematoma
A 20-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a jagged sharp-force injury that is
longer than it is deep. What type of wound would the nurse be caring for?
a. Stab wound
b. Incised wound
c. Puncture wound
d. Chopping wound - Correct Answer B. Incised wound
A 30-year-old female presents with a gunshot wound to the head. The wound has seared edges and
a deep penetration of smoke and gunpowder fragments. This wound would be documented as a(n):
a. exit
b. intermediate range entrance
c. contact range entrance
d. indeterminate range entrance - Correct Answer C. Contact range entrance
A 15-year-old female presents to the ER following a physical assault. She has internal damage to the
neck with deep bruising. X-ray reveals fractures of the hyoid bone and tracheal and cricoid cartilage.
Which of the following most likely caused her injuries?
