Respiratory questions Flashcards
While auscultating an elderly woman's breath sounds, you hear low-pitched “rattling” sounds at the bases of both of her lungs. This finding is MOST consistent with which of the following conditions? Select one: A. Acute asthma attack B. Widespread atelectasis C. Aspiration pneumonia D. Early pulmonary edema
C. Aspiration pneumonia
Crackles (rales) are caused by \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Select one: A. narrowing of the upper airways B. severe bronchoconstriction C. air passing through fluid D. mucus in the larger airways
C. air passing through fluid
You are assisting an asthma patient with his prescribed metered-dose inhaler. After the patient takes a deep breath and depresses the inhaler, you should:
Select one:
A. allow him to breathe room air and assess his oxygen saturation.
B. instruct him to hold his breath for as long as he comfortably can.
C. immediately reapply the oxygen mask and reassess his condition.
D. advise him to exhale forcefully to ensure medication absorption.
B. instruct him to hold his breath for as long as he comfortably can.
Which of the following must be assessed in every respiratory patient? Select one: A. Distal pulse, motor, sensation B. Lung sounds C. Blood glucose levels D. Orthostatic vital signs
B. Lung sounds
Which of the following is MOST characteristic of adequate breathing?
Select one:
A. 30 breaths/min with supraclavicular retractions and clammy skin
B. 22 breaths/min with an irregular pattern of breathing and cyanosis
C. 20 breaths/min with shallow movement of the chest wall and pallor
D. 24 breaths/min with bilaterally equal breath sounds and pink skin
D. 24 breaths/min with bilaterally equal breath sounds and pink skin
When auscultating the lungs of a patient with respiratory distress, you hear adventitious sounds. This means that the patient has: Select one: A. abnormal breath sounds. B. diminished breath sounds. C. normal breath sounds. D. an absence of breath sounds.
A. abnormal breath sounds.
A 59-year-old male with a history of emphysema complains of an acute worsening of his dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain following a forceful cough. Your assessment reveals that he has a barrel-shaped chest, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, and tachycardia. What is the MOST likely cause of this patient's condition? Select one: A. Exacerbation of his COPD B. Spontaneous pneumothorax C. Rupture of the diaphragm D. Acute pulmonary embolism
B. Spontaneous pneumothorax
His parents tell you that their son has had a chest infection for the past two days and when they took him to their family doctor, they were told it was likely due to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They have kept him well hydrated, but the infection seems to have gotten worse. On auscultation, you hear decreased air entry bilaterally with fine expiratory wheezes and the occasional coarse wet crackle. Based on this information, your patient is most likely suffering from: Select one: A. epiglottitis. B. pertussis. C. bronchiolitis. D. croup.
C. bronchiolitis.
You are attending to a 54-year-old female patient in a homeless shelter. The patient tells you that she had the flu a couple of weeks ago, and she has not gotten over it. She has been tired and keeps waking up at night, sweating. She has been coughing up blood-tinged sputum occasionally and has been experiencing episodes of chest pain that get worse when she breathes. Based on this information, your patient is most likely suffering from:
Select one:
A. influenza Type A.
B. pneumonia.
C. tuberculosis.
D. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
C. tuberculosis.
Which of the following conditions would be LEAST likely to result in hypoxia? Select one: A. Pleural effusion B. Pulmonary edema C. Severe anxiety D. Narcotic overdose
C. Severe anxiety
Which of the following is a genetic disorder that predisposes the patient to repeated lung infections? Select one: A. Cystic fibrosis B. Severe acute respiratory syndrome C. Celiac sprue D. Multiple sclerosis
A. Cystic fibrosis
A pleural effusion is MOST accurately defined as:
Select one:
A. fluid accumulation outside the lung.
B. a unilaterally collapsed lung.
C. a bacterial infection of the lung tissue.
D. diffuse collapsing of the alveoli.
A. fluid accumulation outside the lung.
In what area of the lungs does respiration occur? Select one: A. Bronchi B. Trachea C. Alveoli D. Capillaries
C. Alveoli
Your patient has a chronic respiratory condition. His stimulus to breathe is triggered by low oxygen levels in the blood. This is known as the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Select one: A. COPD drive B. hypoxic drive C. CO2 drive D. alternate drive
B. hypoxic drive
“PASTE” is an alternate assessment tool for \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Select one: A. cardiac patients B. respiratory patients C. seizure patients D. stroke patients
B. respiratory patients
Asthma is caused by a response of the: Select one: A. respiratory system. B. endocrine system. C. immune system. D. cardiovascular system.
C. immune system.
You are attending to a 3-year-old male patient who is presenting with severe shortness of breath. His parents report that he has had a cough and cold with a low grade fever for the past two days. They became worried today, as his level of distress has increased dramatically. On assessment, the patient is sitting upright and making high-pitched noises with each breath. Based on this information, the patient is most likely suffering from:
Select one:
A. bacterial infection of the epiglottis.
B. inflammation of the bronchioles.
C. inflammation of the lower respiratory tract and bronchospasm.
D. viral infection of the upper respiratory tract.
D. viral infection of the upper respiratory tract.
Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would MOST likely be contraindicated in which of the following situations?
Select one:
A. Pulmonary edema, history of hypertension, and anxiety
B. Shortness of breath and a blood pressure of 76/56 mm Hg
C. Difficulty breathing, two-word dyspnea, and tachycardia
D. Conscious and alert patient with an oxygen saturation of 85%
B. Shortness of breath and a blood pressure of 76/56 mm Hg
In order for efficient pulmonary gas exchange to occur:
Select one:
A. there must be low quantities of pulmonary surfactant to allow for full alveolar expansion.
B. oxygen and carbon dioxide must be able to freely diffuse across the alveolar–capillary membrane.
C. the pulmonary capillaries must be completely constricted and the alveoli must be collapsed.
D. the percentage of inhaled carbon dioxide must exceed the percentage of inhaled oxygen.
B. oxygen and carbon dioxide must be able to freely diffuse across the alveolar–capillary membrane.
A 30-year-old male presents with acute shortness of breath, widespread hives, and facial swelling. He denies any past medical history and takes no medications. During your assessment, you hear wheezing over all the lung fields. His blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg and his heart rate is 110 beats/min. In addition to giving him high-flow oxygen, the MOST important treatment for this patient is: Select one: A. a beta-antagonist. B. an antihistamine. C. albuterol. D. epinephrine.
D. epinephrine.
