during a clinical assessment of a 68 year old client who has suffered a head injury a neurologist suspects that a client has sustained damage to her v
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Nursing Elites

ATI RN

Pathophysiology Final Exam

1. During a clinical assessment of a 68-year-old client who has suffered a head injury, a neurologist suspects that the client has sustained damage to her vagus nerve (CN X). Which assessment finding is most likely to lead the physician to this conclusion?

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. Damage to the vagus nerve can result in the loss of the gag reflex, which is a key indicator for the neurologist. Difficulty swallowing (Choice A) is more associated with issues related to the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) and hypoglossal nerve (CN XII). An inability to smell (Choice C) is related to the olfactory nerve (CN I), and impaired eye movement (Choice D) is typically associated with damage to the oculomotor nerve (CN III), trochlear nerve (CN IV), or abducens nerve (CN VI), not the vagus nerve.

2. What is the best method to identify which type of stroke the client has?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is to obtain a cranial computerized tomogram (CT) STAT. A cranial CT scan is the best method to quickly identify the type of stroke a client is experiencing. Options A, B, and C are not appropriate for identifying the type of stroke as they are not specific to assessing stroke types.

3. In which patient would the manifestation of a headache be a sign of a serious underlying disorder?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. New onset headaches in older adults, especially if worse at night, may indicate a serious condition like a brain tumor. Choice B describes symptoms commonly seen in migraines. Choice C describes tension-type headaches. Choice D describes symptoms of a menstrual migraine which is not typically associated with a serious underlying disorder.

4. Hematopoiesis occurs primarily in the bone marrow. What cells are formed during this process?

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Red blood cells. Hematopoiesis is the process of blood cell formation that primarily occurs in the bone marrow. Red blood cells are one of the main cell types formed during this process. Pancreatic beta cells (Choice A), gastric parietal cells (Choice C), and neurons and glial cells (Choice D) are not formed during hematopoiesis. Pancreatic beta cells are involved in insulin production, gastric parietal cells secrete gastric acid, and neurons and glial cells are part of the nervous system.

5. What is the etiology and most likely treatment for myasthenia gravis in a 22-year-old female college student?

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Myasthenia gravis is characterized by a decline in functioning acetylcholine receptors rather than autoimmune destruction of skeletal muscle cells (Choice A), cerebellar lesions (Choice C), or excess acetylcholinesterase production (Choice D). The most likely treatment for myasthenia gravis involves corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and intravenous immunoglobulins to block the antibodies attacking acetylcholine receptors. Intensive physical therapy and anabolic steroids are not primary treatments for myasthenia gravis.

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