ATI LPN
Respiratory System Practice Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
The organs of the respiratory zone of the respiratory system include all the following EXCEPT:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The trachea (A) is not in the respiratory zone, per the key it's a conducting zone organ. Small bronchioles (B), alveolar ducts (C), and alveoli (D) form the respiratory zone, enabling gas exchange (e.g., 5-6 L/min air). The trachea conducts air (C-shaped cartilage), not exchanging gases. Respiratory zone structures (terminal bronchioles onward) have thin walls (0.5 μm) for O₂/CO₂ diffusion, per anatomy. The trachea's role airway patency (15-20 cm long) contrasts with B's transition, C's channeling, and D's 300 million exchange sites, excluding A from the gas-exchange zone.
Question 2 of 5
The parents of an infant with bronchiolitis ask the nurse why their baby's room has a sign on the door that says 'contact precautions' and why the nurses all wear gloves and gowns when they hold him. What is the nurse's best response?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Precautions prevent viral spread' (A) best explains contact precautions for bronchiolitis (RSV), per document (1). Gloves/gowns block droplet/contact transmission (e.g., 10ⶠvirions/mL mucus), protecting others. B's focus on severity is true but less precise. C's protection reverses direction. D's generalization is false. A's clarity 30% hospital spread risk educates, unlike C's inaccuracy, per CDC.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse teaches a mother how to attach a spacer to the metered-dose inhaler for a young child. How should the nurse explain the purpose of the spacer?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Spacers reduce oral yeast risk (D) by deepening medication delivery, per document (4). They aerosolize drugs (e.g., budesonide), cutting throat deposition (50% less), lowering thrush odds (10% to 2%). Intimidation (A) is minor. Shaking (B) remains needed. Upper tract focus (C) is false. D's lung targeting 80% deposition enhances efficacy, unlike C's error, per GINA.
Question 4 of 5
During swallowing, the glottis is covered by
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The epiglottis, a cartilage flap, covers the glottis (laryngeal opening) during swallowing, tilting back to seal the airway and direct food to the esophagus, preventing aspiration. False vocal cords (vestibular folds) and true vocal cords (within the larynx) shape sound, not closure. The Adam's apple (thyroid cartilage) protects the larynx but doesn't cover the glottis. This epiglottal action, a reflex via the vagus nerve, is vital for airway protection, key in choking prevention and understanding dysphagia where this fails, a critical upper respiratory function.
Question 5 of 5
A 34-year-old woman with a history of asthma is admitted to the emergency department. The nurse notes that the client is dyspneic, with a respiratory rate of 35 breaths/minute, nasal flaring, and use of accessory muscles. Auscultation of the lung fields reveals greatly diminished breath sounds. Based on these findings, what action should the nurse take to initiate care of the client?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Administering ordered bronchodilators is the priority for this asthmatic client with dyspnea, rapid breathing (35 breaths/minute), nasal flaring, accessory muscle use, and diminished breath sounds signs of severe bronchoconstriction and impending respiratory failure. Bronchodilators (e.g., albuterol) rapidly relax airway smooth muscle, restoring airflow. Oxygen therapy alone (A) delays critical reversal of obstruction; reassessing later risks deterioration. ABGs and x-rays (B) are diagnostic, not immediate fixes, wasting time. Encouraging slow breathing (C) is futile without relieving the physical blockage. Diminished sounds suggest a silent chest,' an emergency requiring swift pharmacologic intervention, often with corticosteroids, to prevent hypoxia a cornerstone of acute asthma management in nursing practice.