A patient is undergoing testing to see if he has a pleural effusion. Which of the nurse's respiratory assessment findings would be most consistent with this diagnosis?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C. Lung fields dull to percussion, absent breath sounds, and a pleural friction rub are consistent with pleural effusion. Dullness on percussion indicates fluid accumulation in the pleural space. Absent breath sounds suggest decreased air movement due to the fluid. A pleural friction rub may be heard due to inflammation of the pleura. A is incorrect because increased tactile fremitus, egophony, and a dull sound upon percussion are more indicative of pneumonia. B is incorrect because decreased tactile fremitus, wheezing, and a hyperresonant sound upon percussion are more indicative of COPD or emphysema. D is incorrect because normal tactile fremitus, decreased breath sounds, and a resonant sound upon percussion are more indicative of asthma or atelectasis.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: an increase of the respiratory rate. When carbon dioxide levels rise in the blood, it triggers the body to increase the rate of breathing to eliminate excess carbon dioxide through exhalation. This is known as the respiratory drive, controlled by the respiratory centers in the brainstem. Increasing the respiratory rate helps to restore the balance of gases in the blood. Incorrect Choices: A: Decrease in the rate of breathing - This is incorrect because high levels of carbon dioxide would stimulate an increase in breathing rate, not a decrease. C: Decrease of pulmonary ventilation - This is incorrect as an increase in carbon dioxide would typically lead to an increase, not a decrease, in pulmonary ventilation. D: Decrease of the alveolar ventilation rate - This is incorrect because an increase in carbon dioxide would prompt an increase in alveolar ventilation to remove excess carbon dioxide from the blood.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: carbonic acid. When carbon dioxide and water combine, they form carbonic acid through a chemical reaction known as hydration. This process is essential for the transportation of carbon dioxide in the blood and plays a crucial role in maintaining the body's pH balance. Hydrochloric acid (A) is formed by the reaction of hydrogen chloride gas with water. Oxygen (B) is not a product of the reaction between carbon dioxide and water. Carbaminohemoglobin (D) is a compound formed by the binding of carbon dioxide to hemoglobin in red blood cells, not a direct product of the reaction between carbon dioxide and water.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C because the pneumotaxic center in the pons modifies the rate and depth of breathing by sending inhibitory signals to the dorsal respiratory group in the medulla, which controls inspiration and expiration. It does not set the at-rest respiratory pattern like option A, prolong inspiration like option B, or suppress the expiratory center in the medulla like option D. This center plays a crucial role in fine-tuning breathing patterns to maintain appropriate oxygen levels in the body.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The function of the conchae in the nasal cavity is to increase surface area. By increasing the surface area of the nasal cavity, conchae help to humidify, filter, and warm the air entering the respiratory system. This ensures optimal conditions for efficient gas exchange in the lungs. Choice B (exchange gases) is incorrect because gas exchange primarily occurs in the alveoli of the lungs, not in the nasal cavity. Choice C (maintain surface tension) is incorrect as surface tension is typically associated with liquid interfaces, not with the nasal cavity. Choice D (maintain air pressure) is also incorrect because the conchae do not play a direct role in maintaining air pressure within the nasal cavity.