ATI LPN
NCLEX PN Questions on Respiratory System Questions
Question 1 of 5
When taking the nursing history of a child with cystic fibrosis, what piece of information about the child's newborn period would the nurse expect the mother to report?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Meconium ileus (C) is expected in cystic fibrosis (CF) newborns, per document (3). CFTR mutation thickens mucus, blocking intestines (10-20% incidence), causing obstruction. Resuscitation (A) or labor duration (B, D) are unrelated CF's respiratory issues emerge later. C's early sign 90% positive sweat test link flags CF, distinguishing it from A's acute event, per CF Foundation.
Question 2 of 5
The volume of air that can be exhaled after normal exhalation is the
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Expiratory reserve volume (ERV) is the air (~1-1.5 L) exhaled beyond normal exhalation (tidal volume, ~500 mL) with forced effort, part of vital capacity. Tidal volume is regular breathing. Residual volume (~1.2 L) stays in lungs post-maximal exhalation. Inspiratory reserve (~3 L) is extra inhaled beyond tidal. ERV reflects additional lung emptying capacity, key in pulmonary function tests, distinguishing it from residual or inspiratory volumes, critical in assessing obstructive diseases like COPD where ERV decreases due to air trapping, a vital lung volume metric.
Question 3 of 5
A school-age child with CF asks the nurse what sports she can be involved in as she becomes older. Which of the following activities would be most appropriate for the nurse to suggest?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Swimming is most appropriate for a child with cystic fibrosis (CF). CF causes thick mucus to obstruct airways, impairing breathing. Swimming enhances cardiovascular endurance and strengthens respiratory muscles without high-impact stress, unlike track (B) or javelin throwing (D), which demand intense bursts taxing limited lung capacity. Baseball (C) involves less sustained effort but includes dust exposure risks. Swimming's humid environment may loosen mucus, aiding clearance, while its low joint strain suits CF's physical challenges. Exercise tolerance varies, but swimming aligns with CF management promoting lung function and activity key in nursing guidance to balance health and quality of life for chronic respiratory conditions.
Question 4 of 5
When taking the nursing history of a child with cystic fibrosis, what piece of information about the child's newborn period would the nurse expect the mother to report?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Meconium ileus (C) is a classic newborn sign of cystic fibrosis (CF), where thick, sticky meconium obstructs the ileum due to pancreatic enzyme deficiency up to 20% of CF cases present this way. Resuscitation (A) isn't CF-specific unless complicated. Labor duration (B, D) long or short doesn't link to CF; it's unrelated to mucus pathology. Meconium ileus, often requiring surgery, signals CF's exocrine dysfunction early, key in history-taking to confirm diagnosis and educate parents on its multisystem impact, a nursing step to connect past and present care needs.
Question 5 of 5
A 20-year-old, previously healthy man is jogging one morning when he trips and falls to the ground. He suddenly becomes markedly short of breath. On examination in the emergency room there are no breath sounds audible over the right side of the chest. A chest radiograph shows shift of the mediastinum from right to left. A chest tube is inserted on the right side, and air rushes out. Which of the following underlying disease is most likely to have produced this complication?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Distal acinar (paraseptal) emphysema (D) causes this pneumothorax . Subpleural lesions (<2 cm) rupture easily with trauma, collapsing the lung (no breath sounds, mediastinal shift). Air escape via chest tube confirms tension pneumothorax. Asthma (A) traps air but rarely ruptures. Bronchiectasis (B) yields hemoptysis, not pneumothorax . Centriacinar emphysema (C) affects smokers, not young adults, and isn't subpleural. D's localized fragility prone to rupture explains this acute event, unlike A's reversibility or B's infection focus, per pathology notes.