Advanced Pathopharmacological Foundations
D027 WGU Pre- Assessment Exam with
Questions and Rationalized Answers
1. What is the gold standard for the suspected diagnosis of Celiac Disease?-
: Endoscopy with small intestine biopsy
2. A 44-year-old woman has recently been diagnosed with advanced metasta- tic
non-small-cell lung cancer. Genetic testing is ordered to determine if the
patient's tumor has any genomic alterations and to guide treatment decisions. A
few weeks later, the patient's test results come back positive for a genetic
mutation. The APN starts osimertinib (Tagrisso). Based on this information, what
type of genetic mutation does this patient have?: EGFR mutation
3. A 20-year-old male meets with an advanced professional nurse (APN) to
discuss symptoms that have been slowly progressing over the past several
years. He is mainly concerned because he has been falling frequently. Since
childhood, his gait has consisted of walking on his toes. During middle school, he
was able to participate in sports but was unable to participate in high school
,sports due to difficulty with running and jumping. Lately, he has noticed it takes
longer and is more difficult to change positions from sitting to standing than it
used to in the past. He has also been waking up with muscle and joint stiffness.
The APRN notes that his family history is not significant for any chronic or
genetic diseases. Which condition is likely to be the cause of these symptoms?:
Becker muscular dystrophy
--Becker muscular dystrophy (often called Becker MD or BMD) is a form of muscular
dystrophy, a genetic disorder that gradually makes the body's muscles weaker and
smaller. It causes less severe problems than the most common type, Duchenne
muscular dystrophy.
4. Which statement should the provider give the patient regarding the patho-
physiology of SLE and its relation to thrombocytopenia?: SLE disrupts immune
homeostasis and promotes development of self-reactive antibodies.
5. A female patient presents to an office to establish care. Her previous pri-
mary care provider told her to follow up regarding an elevated ferritin level. She
has no previous medical history and is currently asymptomatic. She is
concerned about the elevated ferritin and would like to know if she should be
worried. What should the provider do next for this patient?: Order a liver
,function test
6. A 75-year-old female presents to the emergency department with an irreg-
ular heart rate of 130.What can be ascertained about this patient's findings given
the limited information?: She is diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and needs her heart
rate controlled with metoprolol (Lopressor).
7. Which condition from this patient's medical history is contributing to the
loss of contractility?: Acute myocardial infarction
8. Which condition is this patient suffering from?: Diabetic ketoacidosis
, 9. A 45-year-old female fears that she is having a stroke and takes herself to an
emergency room. After several diagnostic and laboratory tests, the patient is
diagnosed with Cushing disease. Which lab abnormality would be present in this
patient?: Increased cortisol
10. SOB when lying down, and moving around --Based on the patient's pre-
sentation, which disease process is the patient likely exhibiting?: Asthma
11. A two-year-old child presents with a clear runny nose and cough which has
lasted 3 days. The child's mother reports the cough sounds like a barking noise.
The child is sleeping in the mother's arms and appears to have stridor. The child's
mother also reports an axillary temperature of 101°F last night. Which
management technique is appropriate for this child's symptoms?: Oral steroids
and breathing treatments
12. Delerium, urinary incontinence, fever-- Which lab and diagnostic tests
should be ordered as part of the patient's assessment?: Complete blood count,
complete metabolic profile, and urinalysis
13. An 18-year-old male is involved in a motorcycle crash while not wearing a
helmet. He is brought into an emergency room and is immediately taken for a CT
scan. The provider tells the patient's parents he has bleeding between the dura
D027 WGU Pre- Assessment Exam with
Questions and Rationalized Answers
1. What is the gold standard for the suspected diagnosis of Celiac Disease?-
: Endoscopy with small intestine biopsy
2. A 44-year-old woman has recently been diagnosed with advanced metasta- tic
non-small-cell lung cancer. Genetic testing is ordered to determine if the
patient's tumor has any genomic alterations and to guide treatment decisions. A
few weeks later, the patient's test results come back positive for a genetic
mutation. The APN starts osimertinib (Tagrisso). Based on this information, what
type of genetic mutation does this patient have?: EGFR mutation
3. A 20-year-old male meets with an advanced professional nurse (APN) to
discuss symptoms that have been slowly progressing over the past several
years. He is mainly concerned because he has been falling frequently. Since
childhood, his gait has consisted of walking on his toes. During middle school, he
was able to participate in sports but was unable to participate in high school
,sports due to difficulty with running and jumping. Lately, he has noticed it takes
longer and is more difficult to change positions from sitting to standing than it
used to in the past. He has also been waking up with muscle and joint stiffness.
The APRN notes that his family history is not significant for any chronic or
genetic diseases. Which condition is likely to be the cause of these symptoms?:
Becker muscular dystrophy
--Becker muscular dystrophy (often called Becker MD or BMD) is a form of muscular
dystrophy, a genetic disorder that gradually makes the body's muscles weaker and
smaller. It causes less severe problems than the most common type, Duchenne
muscular dystrophy.
4. Which statement should the provider give the patient regarding the patho-
physiology of SLE and its relation to thrombocytopenia?: SLE disrupts immune
homeostasis and promotes development of self-reactive antibodies.
5. A female patient presents to an office to establish care. Her previous pri-
mary care provider told her to follow up regarding an elevated ferritin level. She
has no previous medical history and is currently asymptomatic. She is
concerned about the elevated ferritin and would like to know if she should be
worried. What should the provider do next for this patient?: Order a liver
,function test
6. A 75-year-old female presents to the emergency department with an irreg-
ular heart rate of 130.What can be ascertained about this patient's findings given
the limited information?: She is diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and needs her heart
rate controlled with metoprolol (Lopressor).
7. Which condition from this patient's medical history is contributing to the
loss of contractility?: Acute myocardial infarction
8. Which condition is this patient suffering from?: Diabetic ketoacidosis
, 9. A 45-year-old female fears that she is having a stroke and takes herself to an
emergency room. After several diagnostic and laboratory tests, the patient is
diagnosed with Cushing disease. Which lab abnormality would be present in this
patient?: Increased cortisol
10. SOB when lying down, and moving around --Based on the patient's pre-
sentation, which disease process is the patient likely exhibiting?: Asthma
11. A two-year-old child presents with a clear runny nose and cough which has
lasted 3 days. The child's mother reports the cough sounds like a barking noise.
The child is sleeping in the mother's arms and appears to have stridor. The child's
mother also reports an axillary temperature of 101°F last night. Which
management technique is appropriate for this child's symptoms?: Oral steroids
and breathing treatments
12. Delerium, urinary incontinence, fever-- Which lab and diagnostic tests
should be ordered as part of the patient's assessment?: Complete blood count,
complete metabolic profile, and urinalysis
13. An 18-year-old male is involved in a motorcycle crash while not wearing a
helmet. He is brought into an emergency room and is immediately taken for a CT
scan. The provider tells the patient's parents he has bleeding between the dura
