CH 7: Principles of Pathology

Question 1

The volume of air that is moved in and out of the chest in a normal breath cycle is​ called:

Answer 1

tidal volume

Question 2

In normal​ exhalation, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax to contract the​ chest, which creates a positive pressure. This is what type of​ process?

Answer 2

Passive

Question 3

You respond to a patient who is choking on a foreign object. This would indicate that the problem is most likely in the​ ________ airway.

Answer 3

upper

Question 4

What is the correct order of air flow from the nose to the alveoli in the​ lungs?

Answer 4

​Nose, nasopharynx,​ hypopharynx, larynx,​ trachea, bronchi, alveoli

Question 5

The disruption of lung tissue by mechanical forces or medical problems can upset​ diffusion, which is defined​ as:

Answer 5

the process of gas exchange between the alveoli and the capillaries.

Question 6

Which of the following statements provides reasons for the disruption of respiratory​ control?

Answer 6

Stroke, infection, brain​ trauma, toxins and​ drugs, and neurologic disorders can interrupt this control.

Question 7

What​ substances, when​ dissolved, separate into charged​ particles?

Answer 7

Electrolytes

Question 8

When a person has an exaggerated response to a body​ invader, the person is said to​ have:

Answer 8

Hypersensitivity
-An exaggerated immune response is referred to as hypersensitivity, which is also known as an allergic reaction.

Question 9

Production of energy occurs in what part of the​ cell?

Answer 9

Mitochondria

Question 10

​Graves’ disease is an example of a condition caused​ by:

Answer 10

too many hormones

Question 11

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Part 1
A​ 19-year-old male is reported to have taken too many narcotic pain pills that were prescribed for his recent knee surgery. He is extremely sleepy with very shallow breathing. His color is pale and his SpO Subscript 2 reading is 84 percent. His body is probably attempting to compensate for his poor level of ventilatory effort by stimulating the respiratory system to increase rate and tidal volume.​ Normally, respiratory drive is triggered by changing levels​ of:

Answer 11

carbon dioxide

Question 12

The sympathetic nervous response causes which of the following to​ occur?

Answer 12

Breathing becomes faster and​ deeper, blood vessels​ constrict, heart beats stronger and​ faster, skin​ sweats, pupils​ dilate, and skin becomes pale.

Question 13

​________ blood returns to the right side of the heart.

Answer 13

Deoxygenated

Question 14

A​ 12-year-old female patient is having an asthma attack after participating in some strenuous activity during recess at school.​ She’s taken several doses of her own bronchodilator with little relief. Your partner immediately administers oxygen. Providing supplemental oxygen will increase the amount of oxygen molecules carried by the​ ________ in her​ blood, helping oxygenate critical organs like the brain.

Answer 14

hemoglobin

Question 15

You are caring for a​ 25-year-old male patient who has been shot once in the head. The patient is in extremis​ (near the point of​ death) with a noticeable breathing pattern that alternates between no breathing and fast breathing. Your understanding of pathophysiology leads you to believe the breathing pattern may be due to damage to the section of his brain responsible for respiratory​ control, also known as​ the:

Answer 15

medulla oblongata.

Question 16

Plasma oncotic pressure is created by the movement of which of the​ following?

Answer 16

large proteins

Question 17

The basic nutrient of the cell and the building block for energy​ is:

Answer 17

glucose

Question 18

The metabolism that creates large amounts of carbon dioxide and lactic acid but generates little energy is​ called:

Answer 18

aerobic.
-anaerobic metabolism is the result of glucose being metabolized without enough oxygen; it produces much more waste such as lactic acid and far less energy.

Question 19

A​ 59-year-old male has suffered a severe laceration from a circular saw while cutting wood in his garage. Upon your​ arrival, you find the patient sitting on the floor in a pool of blood. He is extremely pale. Based on your knowledge of​ pathophysiology, you would expect his body to try to compensate for the blood loss in all of the following​ ways, except​:

Answer 19

Constricted pupils
-The sympathetic nervous response would cause the pupils to dilate not constrict.

Question 20

the potential space between the lung and chest wall is called​ the:

Answer 20

pleural space.
-Although the lungs are in direct contact with the inner walls of the chest, there is a slight space between the lung tissue and chest wall called the pleural space.

Question 21

Digestive disorders can seriously impact nutrient transfer​ and:

Answer 21

hydration levels

Question 22

A decreased number of red blood cells is a condition​ called:

Answer 22

anemia

Question 23

When the​ body’s water moves from the bloodstream into the interstitial​ space, this can often be seen​ as:

Answer 23

edema
-When water migrates out of the bloodstream and cells and into the interstitial space, it can be seen in the form of edema.

Question 24

Carbon dioxide is transported back to the lungs​ via:

Answer 24

Plasma
-Some carbon dioxide is dissolved in the blood plasma and transported back to the lungs.

Question 25

Not all inspired air reaches the​ alveoli; 150 mL is stopped in the airway leading to the alveoli. This is​ called:

Answer 25

dead air space
-Air that occupies the space between the mouth and alveoli, but that does not actually reach the area of gas exchange is call dead air space.

Question 26

The process by which glucose and other nutrients are converted into energy is​ called:

Answer 26

metabolism
-The conversion of glucose into energy is an essential process of metabolism.

Question 27

The net result of respiratory challenges is low​ oxygen, also called​ ________, within the body.

Answer 27

hypoxia
-The condition of low oxygen in the body is called hypoxia

Question 28

The most vulnerable part of the cell is​ the:

Answer 28

membrane
-The cell membrane is the most vulnerable element of the cell. Many disease processes alter its permeability, or its ability to effectively transfer fluids, electrolytes, and other substances in and out of the cell.

Question 29

The pressure that is created within the blood vessels when the heart beats is​ called:

Answer 29

hydrostatic pressure.
-When the heart beats, it creates hydrostatic pressure which pushes fluid back out of the blood vessels toward the cells.

Question 30

What is a patent​ airway?

Answer 30

A term used by EMS practitioners to indicate that the patient has a secured and opened airway necessary for life

Question 31

The balance between oncotic pressure and hydrostatic pressure is critical to​ regulating:

Answer 31

blood pressure and cell hydration.
-The balance between the pulling-in force of plasma oncotic pressure and the pushing-out force of hydrostatic pressure is critical to regulating both blood pressure and cell hydration.

Question 32

Stroke volume depends on a series of​ factors: one is the force the myocardial muscle exerts to move the blood. This is known​ as:

Answer 32

contractility
-Contractility is the force of contraction; that is, how hard the heart squeezes. The more forceful the muscle squeezes, the greater the stroke volume.

Question 33

Water that is found in the space between cells and blood vessels is​ called:

Answer 33

Interstitial water
-Interstitial water, found between the cells and vessels in the body, makes up about 25% of the total water volume.

Question 34

If a hole is created in the chest​ wall, air could escape or be drawn​ in, or if bleeding develops within the​ chest, air and blood can accumulate in the pleural space. This would force the lung​ to:

Answer 34

collapse
- If bleeding develops within the chest, blood can accumulate in the pleural space and force the lung to collapse away from the chest wall. This can also occur if a hole in either the lung or the chest wall (or both) allows air to accumulate between the lung and the chest wall.

Question 35

In the normal drive to​ breathe, chemoreceptors are stimulated​ by:

Answer 35

high carbon dioxide
-Normally, respiration or the need to breathe is triggered in the brain by chemoreceptors detecting increasing carbon dioxide levels.

Question 36

What element does the cell need in order to not dehydrate and​ die?

Answer 36

Water
-Water moves into a cell from the environment around it. Without enough water, the cell will dehydrate and die.

Question 37

The movement of ions across the cell membrane is needed to accomplish repolarization. What cell structure is used to prepare for​ depolarization?

Answer 37

Sodium potassium pump
- Ions are moved across cell membranes by the sodium potassium pump mechanism.

Question 38

Your patient is an​ 86-year-old male with congestive heart failure. He called for help tonight because he cannot breathe and feels like he is​ “drowning in his own​ lungs.” The patient has had several heart attacks in the past and he tells you his​ “heart is​ shot.” What is not a likely reason the​ patient’s cardiac output is​ diminished?

Answer 38

Chemoreceptors are signaling that he has high levels of carbon dioxide in his bloodstream.

Question 39

A patient breathing in room air should be receiving​ ________ percent oxygen.

Answer 39

21
-Typically, inhaled air contains about 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.

Question 40

Which of the following is an indicator that a patient’s nervous system has been impaired?

Answer 40

Changes in pupil dilation

Hearing disturbances

General weakness

Question 41

You and your EMT partner respond to a local shipping warehouse for a worker who was hit by a falling crate. Upon​ arrival, you find the man lying on the concrete floor of the​ facility, alert and oriented but unable to move or even feel his legs below the waist. Based on the mechanism of injury and the​ symptoms, which of the​ patient’s body systems would you suspect has been​ impaired?

Answer 41

nervous system
-Mechanical damage to the spine and other nervous pathways results in disruption of nervous system communication. That means when a nervous pathway is damaged, movement, sensation, and even automatic functions like breathing and blo

Question 42

In Type 1​ diabetes, which gland does not secret enough of the hormone​ insulin?

Answer 42

Pancreas

Question 43

Daniel has been performing landscaping on a​ hot, humid summer day when he suddenly becomes dizzy and feels like he might faint. This disruption of fluid balance is most likely caused​ by:

Answer 43

Dehydration
-Dehydration is an abnormal decrease in the total amount of water in the body. This may be caused by a decreased fluid intake or a significant loss of fluid from the body by one or more of a variety of means.

Question 44

Janie is having difficulty breathing. Her current tidal volume is 350​ mL, and she is breathing at 28 times per minute. What would be her minute​ volume?

Answer 44

9,800 mL
-The minute volume is calculated by multiplying the tidal volume by respiratory rate; 350 mL × 28 = 9,800 mL.

Question 45

Shock occurs as a result of which of the​ following?

Answer 45

Inadequate perfusion
-Inadequate perfusion is referred to as hypoperfusion, which is considered to be a synonym for shock.

Question 46

​Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are common​ ________ disorders.

Answer 46

digestive

Question 47

Injuries to the brain and spinal​ cord, sepsis, and systemic allergic reactions can cause what similar cardiovascular​ problem?

Answer 47

loss of tone
-Loss of tone, or vasodilation, can be caused by brain and spinal cord injuries, severe allergies, or sepsis.

Question 48

The seat of respiratory control is found in​ the:

Answer 48

medulla oblongata.
-A section of the brain called the medulla oblongata is the seat of respiratory control. From time to time, disorders that affect this portion of the brain can interfere with respiratory function.

Question 49

What is the type of metabolism that occurs when energy is created with a balance of adequate oxygen and​ nutrients?

Answer 49

aerobic
-Metabolism that occurs in the presence of sufficient oxygen and nutrients is called aerobic metabolism.

Question 50

The cellular structure that is responsible for synthesizing proteins is​ the:

Answer 50

endoplasmic reticulum.
-The endoplasmic reticulum plays a key role in the synthesizing of proteins in the cell.

Question 51

An infection of the protective covering for the brain and spinal cord is​ called:

Answer 51

meningitis.

Question 52

What is the best description of the​ chest’s mechanical​ functions?

Answer 52

The chest is a closed space with only one​ opening; the​ trachea, to inspire​ air; the diaphragm contracts down and the intercostal muscles expand the​ ribs, causing a negative pressure that fills the lungs with air.

Question 53

What do chemoreceptors found in the body and vascular system​ measure?

Answer 53

Low oxygen and high carbon dioxide
-Chemical sensors in the brain and blood vessels that identify low levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide are called chemoreceptors.

Question 54

Certain blood vessels that contain specialized sensors that detect the level of internal pressure and transmit messages to the nervous​ system, which then triggers the smooth muscle in the vessel walls to make any needed size adjustments. These sensors are​ called:

Answer 54

stretch receptors
-Certain blood vessels contain specialized sensors called stretch receptors that detect the level of internal pressure and transmit messages to the nervous system, which then triggers the smooth muscle in the vessel walls to make any needed size adjustments.

Question 55

An infection of the brain is​ called:

Answer 55

encephalitis.

Question 56

Your patient is a​ 22-year-old female who accidentally ate some shellfish and is now having a severe reaction. She tells you that the last time she ate​ shellfish, “They had to put a breathing tube in my throat and I almost​ died.” Her face is starting to swell up and you can hear audible wheezing when she breathes. The chemical that produces edema and narrowing of the airways during hypersensitivity reactions like this is​ called:

Answer 56

histamine
-Severe allergic reactions can occur when chemicals like histamine are released, which can produce edema and narrowing of the airways.

Question 57

The respiratory system moves air in and​ out; however, to​ ________ cells, the air that is inhaled must meet up with the circulatory system.

Answer 57

perfuse
-The respiratory system moves air in and out, but to perfuse cells the air that is breathed in must meet up with blood.

Question 58

You are on the scene at a local park where a​ 51-year-old male is reported to be confused and having difficulty walking. Your partner notes that the patient is wearing a bracelet indicating he is diabetic. Upon​ questioning, the patient is able to report that he has not eaten in 8 hours. Your knowledge of pathophysiology suggests that the patient may be suffering from a diabetic emergency. Glucose is a building block for what form of energy in the​ cell?

Answer 58

ATP
-Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the energy created in the mitochondria of the cell when glucose and other nutrients are converted.

Question 59

When carbon dioxide is not​ exchanged, the net result is high carbon​ dioxide, a condition called​ ________, within the body.

Answer 59

hypercapnia

Question 60

Our blood transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells and returns with what byproduct of​ metabolism?

Answer 60

carbon dioxide
- One of the primary waste products of metabolism is carbon dioxide, which is transported back to the lungs in the blood stream and released through exhalation.

Question 61

What best defines adenosine triphosphate​ (ATP)?

Answer 61

It is the form of energy produced in the endoplasmic reticulum and is the​ cell’s engine responsible for all cell function.
-ATP, which is produced in the mitochondria, is essentially the cell’s internally created fuel and is responsible for powering all the other cellular functions.

Question 62

What is FiO2

Answer 62

The concentration of oxygen in our inhaled air, which is referred to as the fraction of inspired oxygen
-The concentration of oxygen in the air we breathe in is referred to as the fraction of inspired oxygen, or FiO2.

Question 63

The human body is made up of​ ________ percent water.

Answer 63

60