WGU PATHO D236 LATEST 2026 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GUARANTEE A+
✔✔Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (Lou Gehrig's Disease) - ✔✔- upper lower
motor neurons become sclerotic and die
- s/s: weakness in upper and lower extremities, head drop, speech changes, dysphagia
- treatment: Riluzole - benzothiazole, changes the activity of certain natural substances
in the body that affect nerves and muscles
✔✔Multiple Sclerosis (MS) s/s - ✔✔- episodes of focal weakness
- numbness
- tingling
- ocular findings
- balance problems
- urinary symptoms
- fatigue
✔✔Huntington's disease - ✔✔- Autosomal dominant inherited disorder
- s/s do not develop until adulthood
- spasticity, lack of control, cognitive function, depression, psychosis, dementia
- degeneration of neurons
✔✔A provider is providing care for a patient following a hemorrhagic CVA. The patient
asks the provider to explain what happened during the CVA. Which response by the
provider is best? - ✔✔"A blood vessel in your brain broke open, causing bleeding in
your brain and a lack of blood flow to an area."
✔✔An older adult patient presents to the emergency department after dropping a pot of
boiling water onto their feet. The skin on the patient's left foot is white with profound
swelling of the ankle. The patient denies significant pain. What is the most likely
classification of this burn? - ✔✔Full thickness
✔✔A provider is working with a patient who is recovering from a subarachnoid
hemorrhage caused by a cerebral aneurysm. The patient asks the provider to explain
what happened. What is the best response by the provider? - ✔✔"An artery in your
brain had a weakened area, which ruptured, causing bleeding into your brain"
✔✔The provider caring for a client who reports experiencing episodes of muscle
weakness, accompanied by profound fatigue and blurry vision. Which diagnosis is most
consistent with these signs? - ✔✔Multiple sclerosis
✔✔Hypertension causes traumatic damage to the endothelium of the arteries. Which
organs have arteries that are at particular risk for damage? - ✔✔Brain, heart, eyes, and
kidneys
,✔✔An occlusion of a coronary artery (most commonly from a thrombus) causes -
✔✔Myocardial infarction
✔✔Primary or Essential HTN - ✔✔- Idiopathic; common "silent killer"
- BP consistently >130/80
- risk factors: age, sex, heredity, lifestyle
- manifestation: asymptomatic, vague (fatigue, malaise, morning headache)
- complications: sclerosis, narrowing of vessels, atheroma formation
✔✔secondary hypertension - ✔✔high blood pressure caused by the effects of another
disease (renal, endocrine, etc)
✔✔malignant/resistant hypertension - ✔✔Uncontrollable, severe, and rapidly
progressive form with many complications
Diastolic pressure is extremely high.
✔✔Heart failure Overview - ✔✔Causes:
- MI (left ventricle)
- CAD
- HTN
- chronic lung disease (right ventricle needs to work harder to push blood through
pulmonary circulation if there is an obstructive lung disease)
- valve problems (heart has to maintain CO, if it can't, it is going to pump harder to
compensate)
Patho:
- Heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet metabolic needs of the body
Compensatory mechanisms:
- Renin and aldosterone secretion (vasoconstriction and blood volume is increased)
- SNS response (increases heart rate/vasoconstriction, epinephrine and norepinephrine)
- Cardiac hypertrophy
Complications:
- Cardiogenic shock
- Acute pulmonary edema
- Organ failure
Diagnostic test:
- BNP (normal <100)
✔✔Left sided heart failure - ✔✔Causes:
- MI
- Valve stenosis
, - HTN
Patho:
- Decreased CO and pulmonary congestion
Manifestations:
- Forward effects in the lungs (not getting oxygenated blood)
-- Fatigue and weakness
-- Exercise intolerance
-Backward effects in the lungs (blood backing up to the lungs)
-- Dyspnea
-- Orthopnea
-- Pink frothy sputum
-- SOB
-- Rales/crackles
Compensation:
- Tachycardia
- Pallor
- Daytime oliguria
*Remember: Left is Lung (respiratory symptoms)
✔✔Right sided heart failure - ✔✔Causes:
- MI (right ventricle)
- Valve stenosis
- Pulmonary disease (has to push through lungs)
Patho:
- Decreased CO and systemic congestion
Manifestations:
- Forward effects to the lungs
-- Dyspnea
-- Fatigue and weakness
-- Exercise intolerance
-Backward effects systemic congestion/fluid back up (cannot maintain venous return)
--Edema to feet, legs, buttocks, ascites, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly
--JVD
Compensation:
- Tachycardia
- Pallor
- Daytime oluguria
ANSWERS GUARANTEE A+
✔✔Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (Lou Gehrig's Disease) - ✔✔- upper lower
motor neurons become sclerotic and die
- s/s: weakness in upper and lower extremities, head drop, speech changes, dysphagia
- treatment: Riluzole - benzothiazole, changes the activity of certain natural substances
in the body that affect nerves and muscles
✔✔Multiple Sclerosis (MS) s/s - ✔✔- episodes of focal weakness
- numbness
- tingling
- ocular findings
- balance problems
- urinary symptoms
- fatigue
✔✔Huntington's disease - ✔✔- Autosomal dominant inherited disorder
- s/s do not develop until adulthood
- spasticity, lack of control, cognitive function, depression, psychosis, dementia
- degeneration of neurons
✔✔A provider is providing care for a patient following a hemorrhagic CVA. The patient
asks the provider to explain what happened during the CVA. Which response by the
provider is best? - ✔✔"A blood vessel in your brain broke open, causing bleeding in
your brain and a lack of blood flow to an area."
✔✔An older adult patient presents to the emergency department after dropping a pot of
boiling water onto their feet. The skin on the patient's left foot is white with profound
swelling of the ankle. The patient denies significant pain. What is the most likely
classification of this burn? - ✔✔Full thickness
✔✔A provider is working with a patient who is recovering from a subarachnoid
hemorrhage caused by a cerebral aneurysm. The patient asks the provider to explain
what happened. What is the best response by the provider? - ✔✔"An artery in your
brain had a weakened area, which ruptured, causing bleeding into your brain"
✔✔The provider caring for a client who reports experiencing episodes of muscle
weakness, accompanied by profound fatigue and blurry vision. Which diagnosis is most
consistent with these signs? - ✔✔Multiple sclerosis
✔✔Hypertension causes traumatic damage to the endothelium of the arteries. Which
organs have arteries that are at particular risk for damage? - ✔✔Brain, heart, eyes, and
kidneys
,✔✔An occlusion of a coronary artery (most commonly from a thrombus) causes -
✔✔Myocardial infarction
✔✔Primary or Essential HTN - ✔✔- Idiopathic; common "silent killer"
- BP consistently >130/80
- risk factors: age, sex, heredity, lifestyle
- manifestation: asymptomatic, vague (fatigue, malaise, morning headache)
- complications: sclerosis, narrowing of vessels, atheroma formation
✔✔secondary hypertension - ✔✔high blood pressure caused by the effects of another
disease (renal, endocrine, etc)
✔✔malignant/resistant hypertension - ✔✔Uncontrollable, severe, and rapidly
progressive form with many complications
Diastolic pressure is extremely high.
✔✔Heart failure Overview - ✔✔Causes:
- MI (left ventricle)
- CAD
- HTN
- chronic lung disease (right ventricle needs to work harder to push blood through
pulmonary circulation if there is an obstructive lung disease)
- valve problems (heart has to maintain CO, if it can't, it is going to pump harder to
compensate)
Patho:
- Heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet metabolic needs of the body
Compensatory mechanisms:
- Renin and aldosterone secretion (vasoconstriction and blood volume is increased)
- SNS response (increases heart rate/vasoconstriction, epinephrine and norepinephrine)
- Cardiac hypertrophy
Complications:
- Cardiogenic shock
- Acute pulmonary edema
- Organ failure
Diagnostic test:
- BNP (normal <100)
✔✔Left sided heart failure - ✔✔Causes:
- MI
- Valve stenosis
, - HTN
Patho:
- Decreased CO and pulmonary congestion
Manifestations:
- Forward effects in the lungs (not getting oxygenated blood)
-- Fatigue and weakness
-- Exercise intolerance
-Backward effects in the lungs (blood backing up to the lungs)
-- Dyspnea
-- Orthopnea
-- Pink frothy sputum
-- SOB
-- Rales/crackles
Compensation:
- Tachycardia
- Pallor
- Daytime oliguria
*Remember: Left is Lung (respiratory symptoms)
✔✔Right sided heart failure - ✔✔Causes:
- MI (right ventricle)
- Valve stenosis
- Pulmonary disease (has to push through lungs)
Patho:
- Decreased CO and systemic congestion
Manifestations:
- Forward effects to the lungs
-- Dyspnea
-- Fatigue and weakness
-- Exercise intolerance
-Backward effects systemic congestion/fluid back up (cannot maintain venous return)
--Edema to feet, legs, buttocks, ascites, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly
--JVD
Compensation:
- Tachycardia
- Pallor
- Daytime oluguria
