PATHOPHYSIOLOGY EXAM 1 QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Answer -C. Compensatory hyperplasia
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 - 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 - 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 - Answer -A. Increase in size
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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Answer -B. Carbon monoxide poisoning
A common pathway of irreversible cell injury involved increased intracellular:
a. sodium
b. potassium
c. magnesium
d. calcium - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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?
a. Chemical asphyxiation
b. Choking asphyxiation
c. Ligature strangulation
d. Manual strangulation - Answer -D. Manual strangulation
A 55-year-old male has swelling of the feet. Which of the following aided in the
development of swelling?
a. Increased ATP
b. Chloride movement out of the cell
c. Na+ movement into the cell
d. Decreased oncotic pressure - Answer -C. Na+ movement into the cell
A 35-year-old female is diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Biopsy of the tumor reveals
Russel bodies, and laboratory testing reveals kidney dysfunction. Which substance
should the nurse monitor as it is accumulating in the patients' body?
a. Glycogen
b. Protein
c. Pigment
d. Melanin - Answer -B. Protein
A newborn male is diagnosed with albinism based on skin, eye, and hair appearance.
Which finding will support this diagnosis?
a. Increased melanin
b. Increased hemoproteins
c. Inability to convert tyrosine to DOPA
d. Inability to convert bile to bilirubin - Answer -C. Inability to convert tyrosine to DOPA
A 23-year-old male develops a black eye following a fight. When the aide asks why this
occurred, the nurse's best response is that the bruising is due to an accumulation of:
a. transferrin
b. bilirubin
c. albumin
d. hemosiderin - Answer -D. Hemosiderin
Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain because:
a. debris is not digested by hydrolases
b. of protein naturation
c. it is rich in hydrolytic enzymes and lipids
d. ischemia results in chemical injury - Answer -C. It is rich in hydrolytic enzymes and
lipids
A 2-year-old swallowed watch batteries. Following ingestion, kidney function was
impaired, and the heart began to fail. Which of the following was the most likely cause?
ANSWERS
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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Answer -C. Compensatory hyperplasia
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 - 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 - 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 - Answer -A. Increase in size
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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Answer -B. Carbon monoxide poisoning
A common pathway of irreversible cell injury involved increased intracellular:
a. sodium
b. potassium
c. magnesium
d. calcium - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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?
a. Chemical asphyxiation
b. Choking asphyxiation
c. Ligature strangulation
d. Manual strangulation - Answer -D. Manual strangulation
A 55-year-old male has swelling of the feet. Which of the following aided in the
development of swelling?
a. Increased ATP
b. Chloride movement out of the cell
c. Na+ movement into the cell
d. Decreased oncotic pressure - Answer -C. Na+ movement into the cell
A 35-year-old female is diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Biopsy of the tumor reveals
Russel bodies, and laboratory testing reveals kidney dysfunction. Which substance
should the nurse monitor as it is accumulating in the patients' body?
a. Glycogen
b. Protein
c. Pigment
d. Melanin - Answer -B. Protein
A newborn male is diagnosed with albinism based on skin, eye, and hair appearance.
Which finding will support this diagnosis?
a. Increased melanin
b. Increased hemoproteins
c. Inability to convert tyrosine to DOPA
d. Inability to convert bile to bilirubin - Answer -C. Inability to convert tyrosine to DOPA
A 23-year-old male develops a black eye following a fight. When the aide asks why this
occurred, the nurse's best response is that the bruising is due to an accumulation of:
a. transferrin
b. bilirubin
c. albumin
d. hemosiderin - Answer -D. Hemosiderin
Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the brain because:
a. debris is not digested by hydrolases
b. of protein naturation
c. it is rich in hydrolytic enzymes and lipids
d. ischemia results in chemical injury - Answer -C. It is rich in hydrolytic enzymes and
lipids
A 2-year-old swallowed watch batteries. Following ingestion, kidney function was
impaired, and the heart began to fail. Which of the following was the most likely cause?
