ATI LPN
NCLEX Neurology Practice Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
A patient is being admitted with a possible stroke. Which information from the assessment indicates that the nurse should consult with the health care provider before giving the prescribed aspirin?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A sudden onset headache is typical of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and aspirin is contraindicated. Atrial fibrillation, dysphasia, and transient ischemic attack are not contraindications to aspirin use.
Question 2 of 5
Which of the following interventions should you perform for a patient admitted with an order for seizure precautions?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Seizure precautions aim to ensure safety and treatment readiness. Obtaining IV access allows for rapid administration of anticonvulsants if needed. Keeping lights on or raising the bed increases risk, and tongue blades are outdated and unsafe.
Question 3 of 5
A 62-year-old male presents with headache, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms occurred a few hours after returning from the grocery store. He has a history of hypertension treated with lisinopril, and type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with metformin. His temperature is 100.2°F (38°C), blood pressure 176/102 mmHg, pulse is 96/min, and respirations are 19/min. On physical exam, there is dysarthia, left-sided weakness and sensory loss. Noncontrast head CT is shown. Which of the following is most likely the cause of this patient's clinical presentation?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Acute headache, nausea, vomiting, and focal deficits (dysarthria, left-sided weakness/sensory loss) with hypertension suggest a hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, a common stroke etiology. Amyloid angiopathy typically affects the elderly with lobar hemorrhages, aneurysms cause subarachnoid hemorrhage, and malformations present variably.
Question 4 of 5
A 9-year-old female patient is brought to the pediatrician because she says 'a heart is in my head.' She reports bilateral headaches of pulsating quality, nausea, and has vomited 4 times. Her headache began approximately 6 hours ago, and says that lights worsen her symptoms. Her eyes are red teary and she reports nasal congestion. She is in the 4th grade, and does exceptionally well in school; her mother notes she was a colicky baby and is prone to car sickness She has a cat a home that scratched her face earlier today. She is sitting on the exam table wearing sunglasses. She does not appear severely ill. Vitals signs are stable, and there are no focal neurological deficits. Which of the following is most likely the diagnosis?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pulsating bilateral headache with nausea, photophobia, and vomiting in a child with a motion sickness history suggests migraine. Corneal abrasion causes unilateral pain, tension headache lacks nausea, and seizures involve altered consciousness.
Question 5 of 5
A 37-year-old African American woman presents to the emergency department with pain and vision loss in her right eye. These symptoms progressively worsened over the course of hours. She also reports muscle weakness and sensory changes in both upper extremities. This has never happened before. The patient has a history of ulcerative colitis treated with oral 5-aminosalicylate, and hypertension that is adequately controlled on hydrochlorothiazide. On physical exam, she has a visual acuity of 20/20 in the left eye and 20/200 on the right, a right relative afferent pupil defect, and symmetric motor and sensory deficits more pronounced in the upper extremity. An MRI of brain was normal. MRI spinal cord was obtained with findings shown to the right. Which of the following is most likely the diagnosis?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Unilateral optic neuritis (vision loss, RAPD) with spinal cord symptoms (weakness, sensory loss) and normal brain MRI suggest neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), often with longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis. MS typically shows brain lesions.