NSG 6420 Week 3 Quiz And Answers

Question 1

Susan P., a 60-year-old woman with a 30 pack year history, presents to your primary care practice for evaluation of a persistent, daily cough with increased sputum production, worse in the morning, occurring over the past three months. She tells you, “I have the same thing, year after year.” Which of the following choices would you consider strongly in your critical thinking process?

Question 2.

A patient presents complaining of a 5 day history of upper respiratory symptoms including nasal congestion and drainage. On the day the symptoms began he had a low-grade fever that has now resolved. His nasal congestion persisted and he has had yellow nasal drainage for three days associated with mild headaches. On exam he is afebrile and in no distress. Examination of his tympanic membranes and throat are normal. Examination of his nose is unremarkable although a slight yellowish-clear drainage is noted. There is tenderness when you lightly percuss his maxillary sinus.

What would your treatment plan for this patient be?

  • Observation and reassurance
  • Treatment with an antibiotic such as amoxicillin
  • Treatment with an antibiotic such as a fluoroquinoline or amoxicillin-clavulanate
  • Combination of a low dose inhaled corticosteroid and a long acting beta2 agonist inhaler.

Question 3.

Emphysematous changes in the lungs produce the following characteristic in COPD patients?

  • Asymmetric chest expansion
  • Increased lateral diameter
  • Increased anterior-posterior diameter
  • Pectus excavatum 

Question 4.

When palpating the posterior chest, the clinician notes increased tactile fremitus over the left lower lobe. This can be indicative of pneumonia. Areas of increased fremitus should raise the suspicion of conditions resulting in increased solidity or consolidation in the underlying lung tissue, such as in pneumonia, tumor, or pulmonary fibrosis. In the instance of an extensive bronchial obstruction:

  • No palpable vibration is felt
  • Decreased fremitus is felt
  • Increased fremitus is felt
  • Vibration is referred to the non-obstructed lobe 

Question 5.

Your patient presents with a complaint of persistent cough. After you have finished obtaining the History of Present Illness, you realize that the patient may be having episodes of wheezing, in addition to his cough. The most common cause of cough with wheezing is asthma. What of the following physical exam findings will support your tentative diagnosis of asthma?

  • Clear, watery nasal drainage with nasal turbinate swelling
  • Pharyngeal exudate and lymphadenopathy 
  • Clubbing, cyanosis and edema.
  • Diminished lung sounds with rales in both bases

6. Which of the following imaging studies should be considered if a pulmonary malignancy is suspected?

  • Computed tomography (CT) scan
  • Chest X-ray with PA, lateral, and lordotic views
  • Ultrasound
  • Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

Question 7.

A 26-year-old, non-smoker, male presented to your clinic with SOB with exertion. This could be due to:

  • Exercise-induced cough
  • Bronchiectasis
  • Alpha-1 deficiency
  • Pericarditis

8.

Upon assessment of respiratory excursion, the clinician notes asymmetric expansion of the chest. One side expands greater than the other. This could be due to:

  • Pneumothorax
  • Pleural effusion
  • Pneumonia
  • Pulmonary embolism 

Question 9.

A 72-year-old woman and her husband are on a cross-country driving vacation. After a long day of driving, they stop for dinner. Midway through the meal, the woman becomes very short of breath, with chest pain and a feeling of panic. Which of the following problems is most likely?

  • Pulmonary edema
  • Heart failure
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Pneumonia

10.

A cough is described as chronic if it has been present for:

  • 2 weeks or more
  • 8 weeks or more
  • 3 months or more
  • 6 months or more

Question 11.

Testing is necessary for the diagnosis of asthma because history and physical are not reliable means of excluding other diagnoses or determining the extent of lung impairment. What is the study that is used to evaluate upper respiratory symptoms with new onset wheeze?

  • Chest X-ray
  • Methacholine challenge test
  • Spirometry, both with and without bronchodilation
  • Ventilation/perfusion scan

12.

In classifying the severity of your patient presenting with an acute exacerbation of asthma. You determine that they have moderate persistent symptoms based on the report of symptoms and spirometry readings of the last 3 weeks. The findings that support moderate persistent symptoms include:

  • Symptoms daily with nighttime awakening more than 1 time a week. FEV1 >60%, but predicted <80%. FEV1/FVC reduced 5%
  • Symptoms less than twice a week and less than twice a week nighttime awakening. FEV1 >80% predicted. FEV1/FVC normal
  • Symptoms more than 2 days a week, but not daily. Nighttime awakenings 3-4 times a month. FEV1 >80% predicted. FEV1/FVC normal
  • Symptoms throughout the day with nighttime awakenings every night. FEV1< 60% predicted. FEV1/FVC reduced >5%

13.

The following criterion is considered a positive finding when determining whether a patient with asthma can be safely monitored and treated at home:

  • Age over 40
  • Fever greater than 101
  • Tachypnea greater than 30 breaths/minute
  • Productive cough 

Question 14.

Medications are chosen based on the severity of asthma. Considering the patient that is diagnosed with moderate persistent asthma, the preferred option for maintenance medication is:

  • High-dose inhaled corticosteroid and leukotriene receptor antagonist
  • Oral corticosteroid—high and low dose as appropriate
  • Short acting beta2 agonist inhaler and theophylline
  • Low dose inhaled corticosteroid and long acting beta2 agonist inhaler

15.

75-year-old  with community-acquired pneumonia presents with chills, productive cough, temperature of 102.1, pulse 100, respiration 18, BP 90/52, WBC 12,000, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 22 mg/dl. He has a history of mild dementia and his mental status is unchanged from his last visit. These findings indicate that the patient:

  • Can be treated as an outpatient
  • Requires hospitalization for treatment
  • Requires a high dose of parenteral antibiotic
  • Can be treated with oral antibiotics 

Question 16.

Which of the following is considered a “red flag” when diagnosing a patient with pneumonia?

  • Fever of 102
  • Infiltrates on chest X-ray
  • Pleural effusion on chest X-ray
  • Elevated white blood cell count

17.

23-year-old  who has had bronchiectasis since childhood is likely to have which of the following:

  • Barrel-shaped chest
  • Clubbing
  • Pectus excavatum
  • Prolonged capillary refill 

Question 18.

Your patient has just returned from a 6-month missionary trip to Southeast Asia. He reports unremitting cough, hemoptysis, and an unintentional weight loss of 10 pounds over the last month. These symptoms should prompt the clinician to suspect:

  • Legionnaires’ disease
  • Malaria
  • Tuberculosis
  • Pneumonia

19.

a 76-year-old  with a 200-pack year smoking history presents with complaints of chronic cough, dyspnea, fatigue, hemoptysis, and weight loss over the past 2 months. The physical exam reveals decreased breath sounds and dullness to percussion over the left lower lung field. The chest X-ray demonstrates shift of the mediastinum and trachea to the left. These are classic signs of:

Question 20.

A 24-year-old patient presents to the emergency department after sustaining multiple traumatic injuries after a motorcycle accident. Upon examination, you note tachypnea, use of intercostal muscles to breathe, asymmetric chest expansion, and no breath sounds over the left lower lobe. It is most important to suspect:

  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Pleural effusion
  • Pneumothorax
  • Fracture of ribs