ATI LPN
NCLEX PN Questions Respiratory System Questions
Question 1 of 5
During internal and external respiration, gases move by
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Diffusion drives gas movement in internal (blood-to-tissue) and external (alveoli-to-blood) respiration, based on partial pressure gradients Oâ‚‚ from high (alveoli, ~100 mmHg) to low (blood, ~40 mmHg), COâ‚‚ vice versa. Osmosis moves water, not gases. Active transport uses energy for ions, not Oâ‚‚/COâ‚‚, which are lipid-soluble and passive. Endocytosis involves cell engulfment, irrelevant here. Diffusion's simplicity, across thin alveolar-capillary membranes, ensures rapid exchange, a core mechanism in respiration, critical in conditions like pulmonary edema where thickened barriers slow it, affecting oxygenation.
Question 2 of 5
An oxygen delivery system is prescribed for a client with COPD to deliver a precise oxygen concentration. Which oxygen delivery system would the nurse anticipate to be prescribed?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Venturi mask (B) delivers precise oxygen concentrations (e.g., 24-50%) via color-coded adapters, ideal for COPD clients needing controlled Oâ‚‚ to avoid suppressing their hypoxic respiratory drive unlike high-flow systems risking COâ‚‚ retention. Face tents (A) and aerosol masks (C) provide high humidity but variable Oâ‚‚, less accurate. Tracheostomy collars (D) suit surgical airways, not typical COPD needs. Venturi's precision, adjusting Oâ‚‚ with air entrainment, aligns with COPD's low-flow requirement (1-2 L/min), a nursing anticipation critical for safe oxygenation and preventing hypercapnia.
Question 3 of 5
A study is conducted of individuals who smoked at least one pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years. These individuals undergo pulmonary function testing, and a large subset is found to have decreased FEV1, normal to decreased FVC, and FEV1/FVC ratio less than 70%. Autopsy data from the subset of individuals in the study with a low FEV1/FVC ratio are analyzed. Which of the following respiratory tract structures in the lungs is likely to be affected most by underlying disease?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Respiratory bronchiole (D) is most affected in centriacinar emphysema from smoking (Page 28, Ans: D). Long-term tobacco (30 pack-years) damages central acinus, dilating respiratory bronchioles via elastase , reducing FEV1/FVC (<70%). Alveolar ducts (A) and sacs (B) are spared; bronchi (C) resist with cartilage. Autopsy shows upper-lobe destruction 50% loss contrasting panacinar's lobule-wide effect. D's centrality in airflow obstruction distinguishes it from A's distal role, per pathology.
Question 4 of 5
A study of pulmonary disease in persons who are smokers shows that tobacco used in greater amounts and for longer periods is positively correlated with the degree of lung parenchymal destruction with centrilobular emphysema. However, some persons with a history of extensive tobacco use have less lung damage than persons who smoked less. Polymorphisms involving which of the following genes are most likely to explain these differences in the repair response to lung injury in smokers?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: TGF-β (D) polymorphisms explain repair variance in emphysema . Reduced TGF-β impairs mesenchymal repair , worsening alveolar loss (50% in heavy smokers). AAT (A) causes panacinar. BMPR2 (B) links to hypertension. CFTR (C) is cystic fibrosis. D's role unlike A's specific deficiency modulates damage, per document.
Question 5 of 5
Which of the following describes the Morphology of Emphysema:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: All (D) describe emphysema morphology . Pale, voluminous lungs and alveolar thinning (50% loss) reflect air trapping . A, B, C are true individually. D's inclusivity unlike A's partiality captures full pathology, per document.