ATI LPN
Questions of Respiratory System Questions
Question 1 of 5
Regarding community acquired pneumonias
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: S pneumoniae is endogenous flora in 20% of adults (A), colonizing the oropharynx. Choice B is true; bacterial/viral causes predominate. Choice C is false; 20-30% have positive blood cultures, not 50%. Choice D is incorrect; resistance to penicillin is variable. Choice E (H influenzae not overtaking) is true. Page 748 confirms A's carriage rate common in healthy adults, it's the leading pathogen, distinguishing it over C's exaggeration or D's sensitivity error.
Question 2 of 5
What type of cells produce the mucus for the mucous membranes?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Goblet cells are specialized epithelial cells in mucous membranes, like those in the respiratory tract, that secrete mucus to trap pathogens and debris, protecting underlying tissues. Macrophages are immune cells that engulf pathogens, not mucus producers. Phagocytes, a broader immune cell category, also lack mucus-secreting roles. Ciliated epithelial cells move mucus via cilia but don't produce it working with goblet cells to clear airways. Goblet cells' mucus is vital for the mucociliary escalator, a defense mechanism in the lungs and nasal passages, where mucus captures particles and cilia sweep them out. This division of labor ensures respiratory surfaces stay moist and clean, preventing infection and irritation, a fundamental concept in understanding respiratory histology and immunity.
Question 3 of 5
What term refers to multinucleated cells that form when many host cells fuse together during infections?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Syncytia are multinucleated cells formed by host cell fusion during viral infections like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or measles, where viral proteins (e.g., fusion proteins) merge cell membranes, aiding spread. Ghon elements relate to tuberculosis lesions, not fusion. Reye syndrome is a post-viral liver-brain condition, not cellular. Koplik's spots are measles' oral signs, not fused cells. Syncytia's formation reflects viral pathogenesis, visible in tissue cultures, and contributes to symptoms like airway damage in RSV. Understanding this term clarifies how viruses amplify infection, distinct from other disease markers, key in virology and respiratory pathology studies.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client thought to have lobar pneumonia. Which color does the nurse anticipate the sputum to be when obtaining a sputum sample?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Rust-colored sputum (B) is expected in lobar pneumonia, typically from Streptococcus pneumoniae, as hemoptysis results from RBC breakdown in consolidated alveoli. Brown (A) suggests old blood or fungal infection (e.g., Aspergillus), not classic lobar. Red (C) indicates fresh bleeding, rare unless necrotizing. Cloudy (D) is purulent (e.g., bronchopneumonia), not specific to lobar's bloody hue. The document's answer (B) matches pathology S. pneumoniae's virulence causes capillary leakage, yielding 'rusty' sputum, a hallmark distinguishing it from A's chronicity or D's infection type.
Question 5 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with pneumonia resulting from Staphylococcus aureus. Which classification of medication should the nurse anticipate the healthcare provider will order to eradicate the infection?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cephalosporin (B) (e.g., cefazolin) targets Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, per IDSA guidelines its beta-lactam kills gram-positive cocci. Corticosteroids (A) reduce inflammation, not infection. Antitussives (C) suppress cough, delaying clearance. Bronchodilators (D) ease breathing, not eradication. S. aureus's virulence (e.g., necrotizing) requires antibiotics like B, aligning with the document's implied answer, distinguishing it from A's adjunct role or C's symptom focus.