Nursing Elites

1. A patient presents with a sudden onset of severe chest pain radiating to his back. His blood pressure is significantly higher in the right arm than in the left arm. Which of the following conditions is most likely?

• A. Acute myocardial infarction
• B. Pulmonary embolism
• C. Aortic dissection
• D. Pericarditis

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C, aortic dissection. Aortic dissection is characterized by sudden, severe chest pain that can radiate to the back. The discrepancy in blood pressure between the arms (higher in the right arm) is known as a 'pulse deficit' and is a classic finding in aortic dissection. This condition involves a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, leading to the abnormal flow of blood within the aortic wall. Acute myocardial infarction (choice A) presents with chest pain but typically does not cause discrepancies in blood pressure between arms. Pulmonary embolism (choice B) usually presents with chest pain and difficulty breathing but does not cause unequal blood pressures in the arms. Pericarditis (choice D) can cause chest pain exacerbated by breathing or lying down, but it does not typically lead to differences in blood pressure between arms.

2. Which of the following might result from severe diarrhea?

• A. Respiratory acidosis
• B. Metabolic alkalosis
• C. Respiratory alkalosis
• D. Metabolic acidosis

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Metabolic acidosis. Severe diarrhea can lead to metabolic acidosis because the loss of bicarbonate ions in the stool results in an overall decrease in the body's bicarbonate levels. Respiratory acidosis (choice A) is caused by retention of carbon dioxide, usually due to inadequate alveolar ventilation. Metabolic alkalosis (choice B) is characterized by elevated pH and bicarbonate levels, usually caused by conditions like vomiting. Respiratory alkalosis (choice C) is a condition of low blood carbon dioxide levels and high pH, often due to hyperventilation.

3. Which of the following would the nurse expect to see in a client experiencing hypoventilation?

• A. Increased oxygenation in the alveoli
• B. Increased carbon dioxide in the bloodstream
• C. Decreased hemoglobin in the bloodstream
• D. Decreased carbon dioxide in the alveoli

Correct answer: B

Rationale: In hypoventilation, there is inadequate ventilation leading to decreased removal of carbon dioxide. This results in increased carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. The other choices are incorrect because hypoventilation does not improve oxygenation in the alveoli (Choice A), decrease hemoglobin in the bloodstream (Choice C), or decrease carbon dioxide in the alveoli (Choice D).

4. When caring for a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the disease the nurse is dealing with is an example of:

• A. Autoimmunity
• B. Alloimmunity
• C. Homoimmunity
• D. Alleimmunity

Correct answer: A

Rationale: When a nurse cares for a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the nurse is dealing with an autoimmune disease. In autoimmune diseases like SLE, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Choice A, 'Autoimmunity,' is the correct answer because SLE is an example of the immune system attacking self-antigens, leading to tissue damage and inflammation. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. Alloimmunity refers to the immune response against foreign antigens from members of the same species, homoimmunity is not a recognized term in immunology, and alleimmunity is not a valid term in this context.

5. Which term should the nurse use to document a situation in which cells increase in size and function?

• A. Atrophy
• B. Hypertrophy
• C. Metaplasia
• D. Hyperplasia

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Hypertrophy is the correct term used to describe the situation in which cells increase in size and function. Atrophy (Choice A) is the opposite, indicating a decrease in cell size. Metaplasia (Choice C) refers to the reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another. Hyperplasia (Choice D) involves an increase in the number of cells, not just an increase in size and function as in hypertrophy.

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