ATI RN
Pathophysiology Practice Exam
1. An immunology nurse is caring for a patient. While planning care, which principle will the nurse remember? The primary role of IgA1 is to prevent infections in the:
- A. Blood
- B. Kidneys
- C. Lungs
- D. Mucous membranes
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Blood. IgA1 is mainly found in the blood and plays a crucial role in preventing infections by neutralizing pathogens. While IgA1 can be present in other body areas, its primary function is associated with preventing infections in the blood. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect as IgA1 is not primarily associated with the kidneys, lungs, or mucous membranes.
2. 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.
3. During admission, 82-year-old Mr. Robeson is brought to the medical-surgical unit for diagnostic confirmation and management of probable delirium. Which statement by the client’s daughter best supports the diagnosis?
- A. “Maybe it’s just caused by aging. This usually happens by age 82.â€
- B. “The changes in his behavior came on so quickly! I wasn’t sure what was happening.â€
- C. “Dad just didn’t seem to know what he was doing. He would forget what he had for breakfast.â€
- D. “Dad has always been so independent. He’s lived alone for years since mom died.â€
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B because sudden onset of behavioral changes is a typical symptom of delirium. Delirium is characterized by an acute and fluctuating disturbance in attention, awareness, and cognition. Choice A is incorrect because delirium is not a normal part of aging. Choice C describes memory issues, which can be seen in delirium but are less specific than sudden behavioral changes. Choice D, while it mentions the patient's independence, does not directly support the diagnosis of delirium.
4. Which of the following is a characteristic of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)?
- A. Simultaneous stroke and heart attack
- B. Simultaneous clotting and bleeding
- C. Simultaneous clotting and insulin release
- D. Simultaneous bleeding and vomiting
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is characterized by simultaneous clotting and bleeding throughout the body. This imbalance in the body's clotting system leads to the formation of blood clots in small blood vessels, which can consume clotting factors and platelets, ultimately leading to excessive bleeding. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because they do not describe the characteristic feature of DIC, which involves both clotting and bleeding.
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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