ATI LPN
Introduction of Respiratory System NCLEX Questions PN Questions
Question 1 of 5
The exchange of gases between blood and cells is called
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Internal respiration refers to the exchange of gases oxygen from blood to cells, carbon dioxide from cells to blood occurring at the tissue level via diffusion across systemic capillaries. Pulmonary ventilation is breathing, moving air in and out of lungs. External respiration is gas exchange in the lungs between alveoli and blood. Cellular respiration is the intracellular process using oxygen to produce ATP, not a direct gas exchange. Internal respiration's role ensures oxygen reaches cells for metabolism and removes CO2 waste, driven by partial pressure gradients (e.g., PO2 higher in blood than tissues). This process, distinct from lung-based external respiration, is critical for systemic oxygenation and CO2 clearance, a key physiological step in maintaining cellular function and pH balance.
Question 2 of 5
When developing a discharge plan to manage the care of a client with COPD, the nurse should anticipate that the client will do which of the following?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Clients with COPD, marked by chronic airflow limitation, easily develop infections due to impaired mucociliary clearance and weakened immunity from chronic inflammation respiratory infections often trigger exacerbations. Maintaining status (B) is a goal, not a natural outcome; COPD progresses without intervention. Reduced oxygen need (C) contradicts disease progression, as lung damage worsens hypoxia. Permanent improvement (D) is unrealistic COPD is irreversible, though manageable. Anticipating frequent infections shapes discharge planning teaching infection prevention (e.g., vaccines, hygiene) is critical to reduce hospital readmissions, a nursing priority in chronic disease management.
Question 3 of 5
A client with acute asthma showing inspiratory and expiratory wheezes and a decreased expiratory volume should be treated with which of the following classes of medication right away?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Bronchodilators (B), like albuterol, are the first-line treatment for acute asthma with wheezes and reduced expiratory volume. They rapidly relax bronchial smooth muscle, reversing bronchoconstriction the root of airflow limitation easing wheezing and dyspnea. Beta-blockers (A) worsen asthma, causing constriction. Inhaled (C) or oral steroids (D) reduce inflammation but act slowly, unsuitable for immediate relief used adjunctively. Wheezing reflects narrowed airways; bronchodilators open them fast, critical in acute settings to prevent hypoxia, a nursing priority over slower anti-inflammatory options.
Question 4 of 5
A 45-year-old man has smoked two packs of cigarettes per day for 20 years. For the past 4 years, he has had chronic cough with copious mucoid expectoration. During the past year, he has had multiple respiratory tract infections diagnosed as 'viral flu'. He has also developed difficulty breathing, tightness of the chest, and audible wheezing. His breathing difficulty is relieved by inhalation of B-adrenergic agonist and disappears after the chest infection has resolved. Which of the following pathologic conditions is most likely responsible for his clinical condition?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Chronic asthmatic bronchitis (C) fits this smoker's profile (Page 28, Ans: C). Chronic bronchitis (cough >3 months, 2 years) from smoking (40 pack-years) plus nonatopic asthma (wheezing, B-agonist relief) post-viral infections explains symptoms . AAT deficiency (A) causes panacinar emphysema, no bronchoconstriction. Centriacinar emphysema (B) lacks wheezing prominence. Cystic fibrosis (D) starts in childhood, not midlife. C's dual pathology mucus hypersecretion (100 mL/day) and hyperreactivity distinguishes it from A's genetic basis or B's pure obstruction, per document.
Question 5 of 5
A 70-year-old woman has had episodes of dyspnea with wheezing and coughing, accompanied by urticaria for the past 3 years. She has had bouts of rhinitis. She has a 10-year history of osteoarthritis. On physical examination she has nasal polyps. Use of which of the following medications is the most likely risk factor for her respiratory disease?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Aspirin (B) triggers intrinsic asthma here (Page 30, Ans: B). Blocking cyclooxygenase shunts arachidonic acid to leukotrienes (Page 5), causing bronchospasm and rhinitis. Acetaminophen (A) is safe. Gabapentin (C) and morphine (D) are unrelated. B's effect 10% incidence contrasts A's neutrality, per document.