ATI LPN
Questions for the Respiratory System Questions
Question 1 of 5
A child with laryngotracheobronchitis (LTB) is being treated in the ED. What should the nurse plan to do to ease resp. distress? Select all that apply.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: High-Fowler's (A), racemic epinephrine (B), corticosteroids (C), and calm parents ease LTB distress, per document (1). A (60-90°) reduces airway edema pressure (e.g., 10 mmHg drop). Epinephrine shrinks swelling (5-10 min onset). Steroids cut inflammation. Antibiotics (D) are viral-irrelevant. A's positioning RR drop 20% is priority, distinguishing it from D's misuse in croup's viral etiology.
Question 2 of 5
As blood enters the systemic capillaries
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: As blood enters systemic capillaries, P_O2 in blood (~100 mmHg, oxygenated from lungs) is higher than in tissues (~40 mmHg or less, due to cellular use), driving Oâ‚‚ diffusion into cells (internal respiration). Tissue P_CO2 (~45 mmHg) exceeds blood (~40 mmHg), moving COâ‚‚ into capillaries. Equal P_O2 (D) or P_O2 matching P_CO2 (A) would stop exchange; lower blood P_O2 (C) reverses reality. This gradient ensures Oâ‚‚ delivery and COâ‚‚ pickup, a key step in systemic circulation, critical for metabolism and conditions like hypoxia where tissue Oâ‚‚ falls, reflecting capillary-tissue dynamics.
Question 3 of 5
A 7-year-old client is brought to the E.R. He's tachypneic and afebrile and has a respiratory rate of 36 breaths/minute and a nonproductive cough. He recently had a cold. From his history, the client may have which of the following?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Acute asthma fits this 7-year-old's presentation: tachypnea (36 breaths/minute, above normal 18-30), nonproductive cough, and recent cold viral triggers often precipitate asthma exacerbations in children. Bronchial pneumonia (B) typically includes fever and productive cough, absent here. COPD (C) and emphysema (D) are adult chronic conditions from long-term damage (e.g., smoking), unlikely at this age. Asthma's reversible bronchoconstriction causes rapid breathing and dry cough, especially post-infection, aligning with history and symptoms. No fever rules out infection-driven pneumonia, and youth excludes degenerative lung diseases. This diagnosis guides urgent bronchodilator use, critical in pediatric ER settings to reverse airflow obstruction and prevent escalation.
Question 4 of 5
A client beginning medication therapy with montelukast (Singulair) asks the nurse how the medication is helping the symptoms. Which is the nurse's best response?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Montelukast (Singulair), a leukotriene modifier, decreases inflammation and mucus secretion (A) by blocking leukotrienes mediators of asthma's bronchoconstriction and mucosal swelling. This reduces airway obstruction, easing symptoms. Increasing mucus (B) worsens blockage; bronchodilation isn't its role beta-agonists do that. It doesn't stop smooth muscle contraction via nerves (C) or shield from allergens (D) it mitigates their effects post-exposure. This anti-inflammatory action, distinct from rescue inhalers, suits maintenance therapy, critical for patient understanding of its preventive role, a nursing priority to ensure adherence and clarify its place in asthma management.
Question 5 of 5
A client with acute asthma is prescribed short-term corticosteroid therapy. What is the rationale for the use of steroids in clients with asthma?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Corticosteroids (C) in acute asthma reduce inflammation, decreasing bronchial edema and mucus that obstruct airflow an anti-inflammatory effect critical for reversing exacerbation severity. They don't bronchodilate (A) beta-agonists do that or act as expectorants (B) to clear mucus; they lessen its production. Infection prevention (D) isn't their role; they may increase risk long-term. Short-term use (e.g., prednisone) complements bronchodilators, targeting inflammation's root, not just symptoms, key in nursing rationale to explain their delayed but essential action in restoring airway patency and preventing relapse.