ATI RN
ATI Detailed Answer Key Medical Surgical Questions
Question 1 of 5
A 44-year-old female client had an emergency cholecystectomy three days ago for a ruptured gallbladder. The client has severe abdominal pain, abdominal rigidity, distension, increased temperature, tachycardia and an elevated white blood count (WBC). The client has probably developed:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Assessment findings of gastritis would reveal anorexia, nausea and vomiting, epigastric fullness and tenderness, and discomfort. Evisceration is the extrusion of abdominal viscera as a result of trauma or sutures failing in a surgical incision. Peritonitis, inflammation of the peritoneum, can occur when an abdominal organ, such as the gallbladder, perforates and leaks blood and fluid into the abdominal cavity, which causes infection and irritation. Assessment findings of a pulmonary embolism would reveal severe substernal chest pain, tachycardia, tachypnea, shortness of breath, anxiety or panic, and wheezing and coughing, often accompanied by blood-tinged sputum.
Question 2 of 5
A female postoperative client has returned to the Unit following a pneumonectomy. In assessing the client's incision, twenty-four hours postoperatively, the nurse notices fresh blood on the dressing. The nurse should first:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The dressing should not be reinforced without notifying the physician. The physician may decide to reinforce the dressing after assessing the amount of bleeding. Blood on the dressing is unusual, which should alert the nurse to do more than monitor the dressing. The physician should be notified immediately. If the bleeding persists, the client may need to return to surgery. The time and amount of blood needs to be recorded, but only after the physician is notified.
Question 3 of 5
A 35-year-old client is admitted for elective tubal ligation. During the preoperative teaching, the client states, 'The anesthesiologist said she was going to give me balanced anesthesia. What exactly is that?' The best explanation by the nurse is that balanced anesthesia:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A regional anesthesia does not produce loss of consciousness and is indicated for excision of moles, cysts, and endoscopic surgeries. Varying amounts of anesthetic agents are used when employing balanced anesthesia. The amounts used depend on the age, weight, condition of the client and the surgical procedure. General anesthesia is a drug induced depression of the central nervous system, which produces loss of consciousness and decreased muscle activity. Balanced anesthesia is a combination of a number of anesthetic agents that produce a smooth induction, appropriate depth of anesthesia, and appropriate muscle relaxation with minimal complications.
Question 4 of 5
A client is scheduled for a pneumonectomy in the morning. The client has had a previous negative surgical experience, is talking rapidly, and has an increased pulse and respiratory rate. Nursing interventions for this client should include:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Providing an opportunity for an open discussion will help to clarify any misunderstandings about the surgery and gives the client a chance to verbalize any concerns about the surgery. Distractions will not alleviate the client's preoperative anxiety; it denies the anxiety the client is experiencing. Giving false assurance is not appropriate and it denies that anxiety is a normal response to the threat of surgery. Psychological responses are not directly related to the severity of the surgery; they are influenced by the client's experience.
Question 5 of 5
Which of the following would be appropriate to delegate to the nursing assistant?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.