Pneumonia Nursing Quiz: Assess & Treat Like a Pro

1. Which organism is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults?

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Haemophilus influenzae

Legionella pneumophila

Mycoplasma pneumoniae

2. A patient presents with fever, productive cough, and chest pain. Which assessment finding is most consistent with bacterial pneumonia?

Vesicular breath sounds bilaterally

Consolidated crackles and bronchial breath sounds

Wheezing in all lung fields

Clear lung fields on auscultation

3. What is the primary mechanism of action of fluoroquinolone antibiotics used in pneumonia treatment?

Inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis

Inhibit DNA gyrase and topoisomerase

Inhibit bacterial protein synthesis

Disrupt bacterial cell membrane integrity

4. Which chest X-ray finding is most characteristic of lobar pneumonia?

Bilateral interstitial infiltrates

Consolidation respecting lobar boundaries

Diffuse ground-glass opacities

Pleural effusion only, no infiltrate

5. A patient with pneumonia has a respiratory rate of 28 breaths/min, oxygen saturation 88%, and altered mental status. What is the priority nursing intervention?

Administer antibiotics immediately

Initiate oxygen therapy and assess airway

Obtain sputum culture before treatment

Position patient upright for comfort

6. Which patient is at highest risk for healthcare-associated pneumonia (HAP)?

Ambulatory patient with mild cough

Intubated patient on mechanical ventilation for 5 days

Patient admitted for elective surgery

Patient with well-controlled asthma

7. What is the recommended first-line antibiotic for mild-to-moderate CAP in a non-hospitalized adult without comorbidities?

Vancomycin IV

Amoxicillin or macrolide

Piperacillin-tazobactam

Ceftriaxone IM

8. A patient with pneumonia develops sudden severe dyspnea and unilateral decreased breath sounds. Which complication should be suspected?

Septic shock

Pneumothorax or pleural effusion

Acute heart failure

Pulmonary embolism

9. Which laboratory value most reliably indicates bacterial pneumonia rather than viral infection?

Elevated WBC count with left shift

Positive sputum culture

Elevated temperature

Positive rapid viral antigen

10. Atypical pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma typically presents with which clinical feature?

Sudden onset with high fever and purulent sputum

Insidious onset with dry cough and minimal sputum

Pleuritic chest pain with consolidation

Hemoptysis and cavitary lesions

11. The CURB-65 scoring system is used to assess severity and guide treatment location for CAP. Which factor is NOT included in CURB-65?

Confusion

Urea nitrogen level

Sputum color

Blood pressure

12. A patient receiving prolonged antibiotics for pneumonia develops diarrhea. What is the most likely cause?

Disease progression

Antibiotic-associated Clostridioides difficile infection

Inadequate antibiotic dosing

Secondary viral superinfection

13. Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate for a patient with pneumonia experiencing hypoxemia and dyspnea?

Ineffective airway clearance related to mucus production

Impaired gas exchange related to inflammatory infiltrates

Acute pain related to pleurisy

Hyperthermia related to infection

14. What is the typical duration of antibiotic therapy for uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia?

3-5 days

7-14 days

21-28 days

Continuous until clinical improvement

15. A patient with pneumonia has a PaO2 of 65 mmHg on room air. What oxygen saturation level would you expect?

Greater than 95%

90-94%

85-89%

Less than 85%