ATI RN
Pathophysiology Practice Exam Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is closely following a patient who began treatment with testosterone several months earlier. When assessing the patient for potential adverse effects of treatment, the nurse should prioritize which of the following assessments?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In patients receiving testosterone therapy, the nurse should prioritize assessing serum calcium levels. Testosterone therapy can lead to hypercalcemia, making the evaluation of serum calcium levels crucial. Skin inspection for developing lesions, lung function testing, and arterial blood gas assessment are not the priority assessments for potential adverse effects of testosterone therapy. Skin inspection may be relevant for dermatological side effects, lung function testing and arterial blood gas assessment are not directly related to the common side effects of testosterone therapy.
Question 2 of 5
When a child jumps out of the tub, crying and stating her feet are 'burning,' what pathophysiologic principle is responsible for this response?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The child's reaction is due to the activation of nociceptors, which are pain receptors that respond to thermal stimuli. This response is an immediate protective mechanism to prevent tissue damage caused by extreme temperatures. Option B is incorrect because adaptation does not explain the child's immediate and intense response. Option C is incorrect as there is a clear physical stimulus present, ruling out a psychogenic response. Option D is incorrect as the child's response is not based on previous experiences but rather on the current thermal stimulus.
Question 3 of 5
When assessing a 7-year-old child's pain after an emergency appendectomy, what is the most appropriate tool for the nurse to use?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is to use the Wong-Baker FACES scale to assess the child's pain. This scale is specifically designed for children and uses facial expressions of varying intensities to help them communicate their pain levels effectively. Choices A and B may not be as suitable for a young child who may have difficulty understanding or using a numerical scale. Choice D involving parents may not provide an accurate reflection of the child's pain experience, as it is essential to assess the child's self-reporting.
Question 4 of 5
A patient is found to have liver disease, resulting in the removal of a lobe of his liver. Adaptation to the reduced size of the liver leads to ___________ of the remaining liver cells.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Compensatory hyperplasia is the process by which the remaining cells increase in number to adapt to the reduced size of the liver. In this case, after the removal of a lobe of the liver, the remaining cells undergo compensatory hyperplasia to compensate for the lost tissue. Metaplasia refers to the reversible change of one cell type to another, not an increase in cell number. Organ atrophy is the decrease in organ size due to cell shrinkage or loss, which is opposite to an increase in cell number seen in compensatory hyperplasia. Physiologic hyperplasia is the increase in cell number in response to a normal physiological demand, not specifically due to the removal of a portion of the organ.
Question 5 of 5
A report comes back indicating that muscular atrophy has occurred. A nurse recalls that muscular atrophy involves a decrease in muscle cell size:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Size. Muscular atrophy is characterized by a reduction in the size of muscle cells. This decrease in size can be due to various factors such as disuse, aging, or disease. Choice A, Number, is incorrect because muscular atrophy does not involve a decrease in the number of muscle cells but rather their size. Choice C, Vacuoles, is incorrect as vacuoles are not directly related to the definition of muscular atrophy. Choice D, Lipofuscin, is incorrect as lipofuscin is a pigment associated with aging and has no direct connection to the decrease in muscle cell size seen in muscular atrophy.