Nursing Elites

1. A 65-year-old man is admitted to the intensive care unit from the operating room after a triple coronary artery bypass graft. He is intubated and on a ventilator. Lactic acid levels were normal postoperatively, but now they are rising. The increased level could be an indication of:

• A. excessive sedation
• B. bowel ischemia
• C. excessive volume infusion in the operating room
• D. mild hypothermia postoperatively

Correct answer: B

Rationale: In this scenario, the rising lactic acid levels in a 65-year-old man after a coronary artery bypass graft could indicate bowel ischemia. Bowel ischemia can lead to anaerobic metabolism, causing an increase in lactic acid levels. Excessive sedation may cause respiratory depression but would not directly lead to rising lactic acid levels. Excessive volume infusion in the operating room might cause fluid overload but would not typically result in rising lactic acid levels. Mild hypothermia postoperatively could lead to shivering and increased oxygen consumption, but it is less likely to be the primary cause of rising lactic acid levels in this context.

2. Which of the following birthmarks usually fade or regress as the child gets older?

• A. Hemangiomas
• B. Congenital dermal melanocytosis (i.e., Mongolian spots)
• C. Macular stains
• D. Hemangiomas, congenital dermal melanocytosis (i.e., Mongolian spots), and macular stains

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. Hemangiomas, congenital dermal melanocytosis (i.e., Mongolian spots), and macular stains are birthmarks that usually fade or regress as the child gets older. Hemangiomas are vascular birthmarks that often shrink and fade over time. Congenital dermal melanocytosis (Mongolian spots) are blue-gray birthmarks commonly found on the lower back and buttocks of infants, which typically fade by adolescence. Macular stains, also known as salmon patches, are pink or red birthmarks that usually fade within the first few years of life. Choice D is correct because all the mentioned birthmarks tend to diminish as the child grows, unlike choices A, B, and C which do not fade or regress with age.

3. A child is experiencing difficulty with chewing and swallowing. The nurse knows that which cells may be innervating specialized gut-related receptors that provide taste and smell?

• A. Special somatic afferent fibers
• B. General somatic afferents
• C. Special visceral afferent cells
• D. General visceral afferent neurons

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Special visceral afferent cells. These cells are responsible for innervating taste and smell receptors related to the gut. Special somatic afferent fibers (choice A) are involved in sensations like touch and proprioception, not taste and smell. General somatic afferents (choice B) carry sensory information from the skin and musculoskeletal system, not taste and smell. General visceral afferent neurons (choice D) transmit sensory information from internal organs, but not specifically related to taste and smell sensations.

4. Which of the following statements describes an active cellular membrane exchange process?

• A. Sodium moving out of cells and potassium moving into cells
• B. The movement of water from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration
• C. The movement of insulin using a protein to travel across the cell membrane
• D. Oxygen moving across the pulmonary capillaries to an area of high carbon dioxide

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. In active transport, energy is expended to move substances against their concentration gradient. Sodium moving out of cells and potassium moving into cells is an example of active transport because it requires energy to pump these ions across the cell membrane against their concentration gradients. Choices B, C, and D describe passive processes where substances move along their concentration gradients without the input of energy.

5. The nurse is caring for a client with an astrocytoma. The client asks, 'What do astrocytes do in the brain?' What is the nurse's best response?

• A. Astrocytes help to nourish and support neurons in the brain.
• B. Astrocytes are a type of neuron that transmit electrical signals.
• C. Astrocytes are involved in immune responses in the brain.
• D. Astrocytes help regulate blood flow in the brain.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Astrocytes play a crucial role in supporting and nourishing neurons by providing metabolic support, maintaining the blood-brain barrier, and regulating the chemical environment of the brain. While astrocytes are essential for brain function, they are not neurons and do not transmit electrical signals (Choice B). Astrocytes are not primarily involved in immune responses in the brain (Choice C) or in regulating blood flow in the brain (Choice D), although they indirectly influence blood flow through their support functions.

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