Nursing Board Review: Medical Surgical Nursing Practice Test Part 1

Protein deficiency allows fluid to leak out of the vascular system and third space into the tissues and spaces in the body such as the peritoneal space. Bleeding tendencies, dehydration and vitamin deficiency can occur but don’t cause ascites.

The symptoms exhibited by the client are typical of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The most significant sign is the audible pulse in the abdominal area. If hemorrhage were present, the abdomen would be tender and firm.

Paradoxical pulse is a hallmark symptom of cardiac tamponade. As pressure is exerted on the left ventricle from fluid, the natural increase in pressure from the right ventricle during inspiration creates even more pressure, diminishing cardiac output.

The major task of the health care team is to medicate the client drugs that produce smooth muscle relaxation, which will decrease the vasospasm and increase the arterial flow to the affected part. The drugs used are calcium antagonists.

These symptoms, along with dysphagia, foul-smelling breath, and pain when drinking hot or acidic, are common signs of laryngeal cancer.

Swan neck deformities of the hand are classic deformities associated with rheumatoid arthritis secondary to the presence of fibrous connective tissue within the joint space. Clients with RA do experience morning stiffness, but it can last from 30 minutes up to several hours. RA is characterized by symmetrical joint movement, and heberden’s nodes are characteristic of osteoarthritis.

When bile production is reduced, the body has reduced ability to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Without adequate Vitamin K absorption, clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X are not produced in sufficient amounts.

The resting or non-intentional tremor may be controlled with purposeful movement such as holding an object. A warm bath, deep breathing and diazepam will promote relaxation but are not specific interventions for tremor.

A patient with meningitis will exhibit signs that include photophobia and nuchal rigidity, which is pain on the flexion of the chin to chest.

Lifestyle, cigarette smoking and hyperlipidemia can be changed by changing behaviors.

COPD clients have low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels. Therefore, hypoxia is the main stimulus for ventilation is persons with chronic hypercapnea. Increasing the level of oxygen would decrease the stimulus to breathe.

Trousseau’s sign is a carpal pedal spasm elicited when a blood pressure cuff is inflated on the arm of a patient with hypocalcemia.

The patient is complaining of symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia, which consists of the triad of hypertension, bradycardia and a headache. Major causes of autonomic dysreflexia include urinary bladder distention and fecal impaction. Checking the patency of the urinary catheter will check for bladder distention.

The most common sign of lung cancer is a persistent cough that changes. Other signs are dyspnea, bloody sputum and long term pulmonary infection. Option A is common with asthma, option B is common with COPD and option C is common with TB.

Although a ventilator is not required for injury below C3, the innervation of intercostal muscles is affected. Hemorrhage and cord swelling extends the level of injury making it likely that this client will need a ventilator.

Emollients will ease dry skin that increases pruritus and causes psoriasis to be worse. Washing and drying the skin with rough linens or pressure may cause excoriation. Constant occlusion may increase the effects of the medication and increase the risk of infection.

A shuffling gait from the musculoskeletal rigidity of the patient with Parkinson’s disease is common. Patients experiencing a stroke usually exhibit loss of voluntary control over motor movements associated with generalized weakness; a shuffling gait is usually not observed in stroke patient.

Depressed ST segment and inverted T-waves represent myocardial ischemia. Injury has a ST segment elevation.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a syndrome of excruciating, intermittent, paroxysmal facial pain. It manifests as intense, periodic pain in the lips, gums, teeth or chin. The other symptoms aren’t characteristic of trigeminal neuralgia.

Though fluid volume status, neurological status and pain are all important assessment, the immediate priority for postoperative is the airway management. Respiratory distress may result from hemorrhage, edema, laryngeal damage or tetany.

Huntington’s disease is a hereditary disease in which degeneration of the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex causes chronic progressive chorea (muscle twitching) and mental deterioration, ending in dementia. Huntington’s disease usually strikes people ages 25 to 55.

Sitz bath provides moist heat to the perineal and anal area to clean, promote healing and drainage and reduce soreness to the area. Sitz bath helps healing with cleaning action and promotion of circulation, thereby reducing swelling. Sitz bath usually has no therapeutic value in lowering body temperature. Although relief of tension can occur, this effect is secondary to the promotion of healing.

An aura frequently precedes an epileptic seizure and may manifest as vague physic discomfort or specific aromas. Patients experiencing auras aren’t having a CVA, substance withdrawal or hallucination.

The description of pain is consistent with ulcer pain. The pain is epigastric and is worse when the stomach is empty and is relived by food.

Ms. Hizon’s pH is above 7.45, which makes it alkalatic, and her bicarbonate is high which is also makes it basic. Thus, the diagnosis is metabolic alkalosis.