ATI RN
Physical Assessment Nursing Practice Questions Questions
Question 1 of 9
A 58-year-old man comes to your office complaining of bilateral back pain that now awakens him at night. This has been steadily increasing for the past 2 months. Which one of the following is the most reassuring in this patient with back pain?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In this patient with bilateral back pain that awakens him at night, the most reassuring finding is that the pain is bilateral. Bilateral symptoms are less likely to be associated with red flags such as malignancy or infection compared to unilateral symptoms. While back pain in individuals over the age of 50, pain at night, and pain lasting more than 1 month are concerning features, the fact that the pain in this patient is bilateral provides some reassurance. However, further evaluation is still warranted to determine the exact cause of the pain and appropriate management.
Question 2 of 9
A 55-year-old bank teller comes to your office for persistent episodes of dizziness. The first episode started suddenly and lasted 3 to 4 hours. He experienced a lot of nausea with vomiting; the episode resolved spontaneously. He has had five episodes in the past 1½ weeks. He does note some tinnitus that comes and goes. Upon physical examination, you note that he has a normal gait. The Weber localizes to the right side and the air conduction is equal to the bone conduction in the right ear. Nystagmus is present. Based on this description, what is the most likely diagnosis?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The clinical presentation described in the case, including recurrent episodes of dizziness, nausea with vomiting, tinnitus, nystagmus, and normal gait, is suggestive of Menière's disease. Menière's disease is a disorder of the inner ear characterized by episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. The presence of tinnitus, episodic vertigo lasting for several hours, and nystagmus are key features that point towards Menière's disease. The Weber test result (localization to the right ear) can also be seen in Menière's disease due to sensorineural hearing loss in the affected ear. This set of symptoms and findings is more consistent with Menière's disease than the other options provided. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) typically presents with brief episodes of vertigo triggered by changes in
Question 3 of 9
A 27-year-old policewoman comes to your clinic, complaining of severe left-sided back pain radiating down into her groin. It began in the middle of the night and woke her up suddenly. It hurts in her bladder to urinate but she has no burning on the outside. She has had no frequency or urgency with urination but she has seen blood in her urine. She has had nausea with the pain but no vomiting or fever. She denies any other recent illness or injuries. Her past medical history is unremarkable. She denies tobacco or drug use and drinks alcohol rarely. Her mother has high blood pressure and her father is healthy. On examination she looks her stated age and is in obvious pain. She is lying on her left side trying to remain very still. Her cardiac, pulmonary, and abdominal examinations are unremarkable. She has tenderness just inferior to the left costovertebral angle. Her urine pregnancy test is negative and her urine analysis shows red blood cells. What type of urinary tract pain is she most likely to have?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The policewoman's presentation of severe left-sided back pain radiating down into her groin, associated with nausea, blood in urine, and tenderness just inferior to the left costovertebral angle is highly suggestive of a kidney stone causing ureteral colic. Kidney stones are solid masses made of crystals that form in the kidneys and can cause sudden severe pain as they move through the urinary tract, leading to blockage and subsequent stretching of the ureter (the tube connecting the kidney to the bladder), resulting in pain that radiates from the flank down to the groin region. The presence of blood in the urine (hematuria) is a common finding with kidney stones due to irritation and damage to the ureteral lining as the stone passes. The negative urine pregnancy test rules out pregnancy-related causes of urinary symptoms. Musculoskeletal pain is less likely given the location and character of the pain
Question 4 of 9
You are beginning the examination of a patient. All of the following areas are important to observe as part of the General Survey except:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Blood pressure is not typically included in the initial assessment during the General Survey. The General Survey primarily focuses on obtaining an overall impression of the patient's health status and any noticeable cues such as level of consciousness, signs of distress, and appearance including dress, grooming, and personal hygiene. While blood pressure is an important vital sign to assess during a comprehensive examination, it is usually measured later in the assessment process and not part of the initial general observation.
Question 5 of 9
Alexandra is a 28-year-old editor who presents to the clinic with abdominal pain. The pain is a dull ache, located in the right upper quadrant, that she rates as a 3 at the least and an 8 at the worst. The pain started a few weeks ago, it lasts for 2 to 3 hours at a time, it comes and goes, and it seems to be worse a couple of hours after eating. She has noticed that it starts after eating greasy foods, so she has cut down on these as much as she can. Initially it occurred once a week, but now it is occurring every other day. Nothing makes it better. From this description, which of the seven attributes of a symptom has been omitted?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The description provided by Alexandra includes information about the location (right upper quadrant), intensity (3 to 8 on a scale), duration (2 to 3 hours), periodicity (coming and going, worse after eating), exacerbating factors (greasy foods), frequency (initially once a week, now every other day), and aggravating factors (nothing makes it better). However, there is no mention of any associated manifestations such as nausea, vomiting, fever, or other symptoms that may be occurring alongside the abdominal pain. Associated manifestations are important for a comprehensive assessment and differential diagnosis of the symptom.
Question 6 of 9
You are examining a patient with emphysema in exacerbation and are having difficulty hearing his heart sounds. What should you do to obtain a good examination?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In a patient with emphysema, lung hyperinflation can make it difficult to hear heart sounds anteriorly. Listening posteriorly, especially between the scapulae, can often provide a clearer auscultation of the heart sounds due to reduced interference from lung sounds. The posterior approach can also help avoid any abdominal sounds that might obscure the cardiac sounds when auscultating in the epigastrium. It is important to make sure the patient is in a comfortable position for better examination, and in this case, listening posteriorly would be the best choice for assessing heart sounds in a patient with emphysema in exacerbation.
Question 7 of 9
You are assessing a patient with diffuse joint pains and want to make sure that only the joints are the problem, and that the pain is not related to other diseases. Which of the following is a systemic cause of joint pain?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect various organs and tissues throughout the body, including the joints. Joint pain in lupus is usually accompanied by other systemic symptoms such as fatigue, fever, skin rashes, and organ involvement. It is important to consider lupus as a potential cause of joint pain in a patient with diffuse joint symptoms to ensure proper management and treatment. Gout, osteoarthritis, and spondylosis are more localized conditions that primarily affect the joints without the systemic involvement typically seen in lupus.
Question 8 of 9
You are conducting a workshop on the measurement of jugular venous pulsation. As part of your instruction, you tell the students to make sure that they can distinguish between the jugular venous pulsation and the carotid pulse. Which one of the following characteristics is typical of the carotid pulse?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The carotid pulse is typically palpable, meaning that you can feel it when you place your fingers lightly on the carotid artery located in the neck. In contrast, jugular venous pulsation is not typically palpable. When examining jugular venous pulsation, it is important to differentiate it from the carotid pulse by considering factors such as the quality of pulsation, response to pressure, and changes with position.
Question 9 of 9
Asymmetric BPs are seen in which of the following conditions?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Asymmetric blood pressures (BPs) refer to a significant difference in blood pressures between the two arms. This is commonly seen in conditions like congenital narrowing of the aorta, also known as coarctation of the aorta. In this condition, there is a localized narrowing of the aorta, leading to higher blood pressure in the upper extremities compared to the lower extremities. This results in a significant asymmetry in blood pressure readings between the arms. It is crucial to identify this sign as it can have important diagnostic and treatment implications.