Nursing Elites

1. A toddler is displaying signs/symptoms of weakness and muscle atrophy. The pediatric neurologist suspects it may be a lower motor neuron disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The client's family asks how he got this. The nurse will respond:

• A. This could result from playing in soil and then ingesting bacteria that is now attacking his motor neurons.
• B. No one really knows how this disease is formed. We just know that in time, he may grow out of it.
• C. This is a degenerative disorder that tends to be inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.
• D. This is a segmental demyelination disorder that affects all nerve roots and eventually all muscle groups as well.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an inherited disorder, often autosomal recessive, that affects lower motor neurons. Choice A is incorrect because SMA is not caused by ingesting bacteria from playing in soil. Choice B is incorrect as SMA is not something that a person grows out of. Choice D is incorrect because SMA is not a demyelination disorder that affects nerve roots and muscle groups.

2. Manifestations of Cushing syndrome include:

• A. truncal obesity with thin extremities.
• B. enlargement of face, hands, and feet.
• C. cachexia.
• D. thick scalp hair.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct manifestation of Cushing syndrome is truncal obesity with thin extremities. This occurs due to the redistribution of fat to the face, neck, and abdomen, while the arms and legs remain thin. Choice B, enlargement of face, hands, and feet, is more indicative of acromegaly. Choice C, cachexia, refers to extreme weight loss and muscle wasting, which is typically not seen in Cushing syndrome. Choice D, thick scalp hair, is not a typical manifestation of Cushing syndrome.

3. A college student has a TB test prior to starting the semester. The tuberculin test site is noted with a reddened, raised area. What condition will the student be diagnosed with if the chest radiograph is negative?

• A. Transmission
• B. Primary infection
• C. Latent tuberculosis
• D. Active tuberculosis

Correct answer: C

Rationale: If the chest radiograph is negative despite a positive tuberculin skin test, the student will be diagnosed with latent tuberculosis infection. Latent tuberculosis means the student has the TB bacteria in their body but does not feel sick and cannot spread the disease. Choice A, 'Transmission,' is incorrect as it refers to the spread of TB from person to person. Choice B, 'Primary infection,' is incorrect because primary infection occurs when a person is first infected with the TB bacteria. Choice D, 'Active tuberculosis,' is incorrect as this refers to the active form of the disease where the person feels sick and can spread TB to others.

4. A client is admitted with a suspected aortic dissection. What is the priority nursing intervention?

• A. Administer antihypertensive medications as prescribed.
• B. Prepare the client for emergency surgery.
• C. Administer intravenous fluids to maintain blood pressure.
• D. Monitor the client's urine output closely.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Prepare the client for emergency surgery. Aortic dissection is a life-threatening emergency that often necessitates immediate surgical intervention to prevent rupture and further complications. Administering antihypertensive medications (choice A) may be necessary but is not the priority over surgical intervention. While maintaining blood pressure with intravenous fluids (choice C) is important, the urgent need for surgery takes precedence. Monitoring urine output (choice D) is essential for assessing renal function but is not the priority in this critical situation.

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.

• A. Metaplasia
• B. Organ atrophy
• C. Compensatory hyperplasia
• D. Physiologic hyperplasia

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.

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