ATI RN
Pathophysiology Final Exam
1. A patient is taking a statin for hyperlipidemia. What important instruction should the nurse provide to the patient?
- A. Take the medication at night to avoid muscle pain.
- B. Take the medication in the morning to ensure it works throughout the day.
- C. Avoid consuming alcohol while taking this medication.
- D. Take the medication with a high-fat meal to increase absorption.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is to instruct the patient to take the medication at night to avoid muscle pain. Statins are known to potentially cause muscle pain or weakness; taking the medication at night can help reduce the incidence of these side effects. Option B is incorrect because the timing of statin administration is not related to its effectiveness throughout the day. Option C is a general precaution when taking medications but not the most important instruction specific to statins. Option D is incorrect as taking the medication with a high-fat meal can actually decrease its absorption.
2. A 5-year-old male was diagnosed with normocytic-normochromic anemia. Which of the following anemias does the nurse suspect the patient has?
- A. Sideroblastic anemia
- B. Hemolytic anemia
- C. Pernicious anemia
- D. Iron deficiency anemia
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B, Hemolytic anemia. Normocytic-normochromic anemia is a type of anemia characterized by normal-sized and normal-colored red blood cells. Hemolytic anemia is a condition where red blood cells are destroyed prematurely, leading to normocytic-normochromic anemia. Sideroblastic anemia (Choice A) is characterized by ringed sideroblasts in the bone marrow. Pernicious anemia (Choice C) is due to vitamin B12 deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia (Choice D) is characterized by microcytic-hypochromic red blood cells.
3. A patient arrives at her follow-up appointment 1 month post-hysterectomy and complains to the nurse that her scars do not seem to be healing properly. Upon inspection, the nurse notices that the scars are raised but still within the boundaries of the original incisions. The nurse tells the patient this kind of dysfunctional wound healing is called:
- A. Hypertrophic scarring
- B. Dehiscence
- C. Contracture
- D. A keloid
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Hypertrophic scarring occurs when a scar is raised but remains within the boundaries of the original wound, unlike keloids, which extend beyond the wound edges. Dehiscence refers to the separation of wound edges, while contracture involves the tightening or constriction of a scar, leading to limited mobility.
4. While assessing a critically ill client in the emergency department, the nurse notes on the cardiac monitor an R-on-T premature ventricular beat that develops into ventricular tachycardia (VT). Immediately, the client became unresponsive. The nurse knows that based on pathophysiologic principles, the most likely cause of the unresponsiveness is:
- A. metabolic acidosis that occurs spontaneously following any dysrhythmias.
- B. interruption of the blood/oxygen supply to the brain.
- C. massive cerebrovascular accident (CVA) resulting from increased perfusion.
- D. a blood clot coming from the heart and occluding the carotid arteries.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B. Ventricular tachycardia (VT) can disrupt the normal heart function, leading to a decreased cardiac output. This decreased output can interrupt the blood supply to the brain, causing the client to become unresponsive. Metabolic acidosis (Choice A) is not the most likely cause of unresponsiveness in this scenario. A massive cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (Choice C) would not result from increased perfusion. A blood clot occluding the carotid arteries (Choice D) may lead to a stroke but is not the most likely cause of sudden unresponsiveness in this situation.
5. Which of the following would the nurse see in a client with thrombocytopenia?
- A. A decreased platelet cell count
- B. Decreased white blood cell count
- C. Increased red blood cell count
- D. An increased platelet cell count
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Thrombocytopenia is characterized by a decreased platelet cell count, leading to an increased risk of bleeding. Therefore, the correct answer is A. Choice B, a decreased white blood cell count, is not typically associated with thrombocytopenia. Choice C, an increased red blood cell count, is not a characteristic finding in thrombocytopenia. Choice D, an increased platelet cell count, is the opposite of what is observed in thrombocytopenia.
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