Nursing Elites

1. When a healthcare professional observes muscle stiffening occurring within 6 to 14 hours after death, the healthcare professional should document this finding as _____ present.

• A. Livor mortis
• B. Gangrene
• C. Algor mortis
• D. Rigor mortis

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D, Rigor mortis. Rigor mortis is the stiffening of muscles after death, typically beginning within 6 to 14 hours. Livor mortis (choice A) refers to the pooling of blood in the lowest tissues causing discoloration, gangrene (choice B) is the death of body tissue due to lack of blood flow, and algor mortis (choice C) is the cooling of the body after death.

2. What causes the appearance of a barrel chest in clients with emphysema?

• A. Peripheral edema
• B. Bacterial infections in the lungs
• C. Air trapping in the alveoli
• D. Muscle atrophy of the diaphragm

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Air trapping in the alveoli. A barrel chest in emphysema results from the hyperinflation of the lungs due to air trapping in the alveoli. This leads to increased anteroposterior diameter of the chest. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. Peripheral edema is swelling caused by fluid retention in tissues, not associated with a barrel chest in emphysema. Bacterial infections in the lungs can lead to conditions like pneumonia but do not directly cause a barrel chest. Muscle atrophy of the diaphragm could affect breathing mechanics but is not specifically linked to the development of a barrel chest in emphysema.

3. When reviewing the purpose/action of neurotransmitters as they interact with different receptors, the nursing instructor gives an example using acetylcholine. When acetylcholine is released at the sinoatrial node in the right atrium of the heart, it is:

• A. positively charged.
• B. inhibitory.
• C. overstimulated.
• D. dormant.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Acetylcholine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter at the sinoatrial node. It slows down the heart rate by decreasing the firing rate of the sinoatrial node, which serves as the heart's natural pacemaker. Neurotransmitters do not have a charge, so choice A is incorrect. Choice C is wrong as overstimulation is not a characteristic of acetylcholine at the sinoatrial node. Choice D is also incorrect because acetylcholine actively influences heart rate regulation when released at the sinoatrial node.

4. A woman of childbearing age is diagnosed with breast cancer. She is currently taking hormonal contraceptives. What information should the woman be given regarding the hormonal contraceptives?

• A. The hormonal contraceptives do not affect the course of the disease.
• B. The hormonal contraceptives will stimulate uterine bleeding.
• C. The hormonal contraceptives will impair uterine bleeding.
• D. The hormonal contraceptives will stimulate tumor growth.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. Hormonal contraceptives should be discontinued in women diagnosed with breast cancer because they can potentially stimulate cancer growth. Choice B is incorrect as hormonal contraceptives do not stimulate uterine bleeding. Choice C is also incorrect as hormonal contraceptives typically do not impair uterine bleeding. Choice D is incorrect because hormonal contraceptives are not meant to stimulate tumor growth.

5. A nurse recalls an example of an immune-complex-mediated disease is:

• A. Bronchial asthma
• B. Contact dermatitis
• C. Serum sickness
• D. Rheumatoid arthritis

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Serum sickness. Serum sickness is characterized by the formation of immune complexes in response to certain medications or proteins. These immune complexes can deposit in tissues, leading to inflammation and tissue damage. Bronchial asthma (Choice A) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways not primarily mediated by immune complexes. Contact dermatitis (Choice B) is a type IV hypersensitivity reaction mediated by T cells, not immune complexes. Rheumatoid arthritis (Choice D) is an autoimmune disease where antibodies target self-antigens, but it is not primarily mediated by immune complexes.

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