Can You Pass The NCLEX Nursing Questions On Respiratory System?
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A 24-year-old client comes into the clinic complaining of right-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. He reports that it started suddenly. The assessment should include which of the following interventions?
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Auscultation of breath sounds
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Chest x-ray
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Echocardiogram
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Electrocardiogram (ECG)
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Test your knowledge on respiratory system nursing with this NCLEX-style quiz. Assess skills in diagnosing conditions like pneumothorax, understanding treatments such as chest tube placement, and interpreting pulse oximetry data. Essential for nursing professionals and students aiming to enhance their respiratory care expertise.
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- 2.
A client with shortness of breath has decreased to absent breath sounds on the right side. from the apex to the base. Which of the following conditions would best explain this?
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Acute asthma
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Chronic bronchitis
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Pneumonia
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Spontaneous pneumothorax
Correct Answer
A. Spontaneous pneumothoraxExplanation
A spontaneous pneumothorax occurs when the client’s lung collapses. causing an acute decrease in the amount of functional lung used in oxygenation. The sudden collapse was the cause of his chest pain and shortness of breath. An asthma attack would show wheezing breath sounds. and bronchitis would have rhonchi. Pneumonia would have bronchial breath sounds over the area of consolidation.Rate this question:
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- 3.
Which of the following treatments would the nurse expect for a client with a spontaneous pneumothorax?
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Antibiotics
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Bronchodilators
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Chest tube placement
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Hyperbaric chamber
Correct Answer
A. Chest tube placementExplanation
The only way to re-expand the lung is to place a chest tube on the right side so the air in the pleural space can be removed and the lung re-expanded.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Which of the following methods is the best way to confirm the diagnosis of a pneumothorax?
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Auscultate breath sounds
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Have the client use an incentive spirometer
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Take a chest x-ray
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Stick a needle in the area of decreased breath sounds
Correct Answer
A. Take a chest x-rayExplanation
A chest x-ray will show the area of collapsed lung if pneumothorax is present as well as the volume of air in the pleural space. Listening to breath sounds won’t confirm a diagnosis. An IS is used to encourage deep breathing. A needle thoracostomy is done only in an emergency and only by someone trained to do it.Rate this question:
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- 5.
A pulse oximetry gives what type of information about the client?
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Amount of carbon dioxide in the blood
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Amount of oxygen in the blood
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Percentage of hemoglobin carrying oxygen
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Respiratory rate
Correct Answer
A. Percentage of hemoglobin carrying oxygenExplanation
The pulse oximeter determines the percentage of hemoglobin carrying oxygen. This doesn’t ensure that the oxygen being carried through the bloodstream is actually being taken up by the tissue.Rate this question:
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- 6.
What effect does hemoglobin amount have on oxygenation status?
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No effect
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More hemoglobin reduces the client’s respiratory rate
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Low hemoglobin levels cause reduces oxygen-carrying capacity
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Low hemoglobin levels cause increased oxygen-carrying capacity.
Correct Answer
A. Low hemoglobin levels cause reduces oxygen-carrying capacityExplanation
Hemoglobin carries oxygen to all tissues in the body. If the hemoglobin level is low. the amount of oxygen-carrying capacity is also low. More hemoglobin will increase oxygen-carrying capacity and thus increase the total amount of oxygen available in the blood. If the client has been tachypneic during exertion. or even at rest. because oxygen demand is higher than the available oxygen content. then an increase in hemoglobin may decrease the respiratory rate to normal levels.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Which of the following statements best explains how opening up collapsed alveoli improves oxygenation?
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Alveoli need oxygen to live
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Alveoli have no effect on oxygenation
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Collapsed alveoli increase oxygen demand
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Gaseous exchange occurs in the alveolar membrane.
Correct Answer
A. Gaseous exchange occurs in the alveolar membrane.Explanation
Gaseous exchange occurs in the alveolar membrane. so if the alveoli collapse. no exchange occurs. Collapsed alveoli receive oxygen. as well as other nutrients. from the bloodstream. Collapsed alveoli have no effect on oxygen demand. though by decreasing the surface area available for gas exchange. they decrease oxygenation of the blood.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can be provided through an oxygen mask to improve oxygenation in hypoxic patients by which of the following methods?
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The mask provides 100% oxygen to the client.
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The mask provides continuous air that the client can breathe.
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The mask provides pressurized oxygen so the client can breathe more easily.
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The mask provides pressurized at the end of expiration to open collapsed alveoli.
Correct Answer
A. The mask provides pressurized oxygen so the client can breathe more easily.Explanation
The mask provides pressurized oxygen continuously through both inspiration and expiration. The mask can be set to deliver any amount of oxygen needed. By providing the client with pressurized oxygen. the client has less resistance to overcome in taking his next breath. making it easier to breathe. Pressurized oxygen delivered at the end of expiration is positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). not continuous positive airway pressure.Rate this question:
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- 9.
Which of the following best describes pleural effusion?
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The collapse of alveoli
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The collapse of bronchiole
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The fluid in the alveolar space
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The accumulation of fluid between the linings of the pleural space.
Correct Answer
A. The accumulation of fluid between the linings of the pleural space.Explanation
The pleural fluid normally seeps continually into the pleural space from the capillaries lining the parietal pleura and is reabsorbed by the visceral pleural capillaries and lymphatics. Any condition that interferes with either the secretion or drainage of this fluid will lead to a pleural effusion.Rate this question:
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- 10.
If a pleural effusion develops. which of the following actions best describes how the fluid can be removed from the pleural space and proper lung status restored?
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Inserting a chest tube
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Performing thoracentesis
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Performing paracentesis
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Allowing the pleural effusion to drain by itself.
Correct Answer
A. Performing thoracentesisExplanation
Performing thoracentesis is used to remove excess pleural fluid. The fluid is then analyzed to determine if it’s transudative or exudative. Transudates are substances that have passed through a membrane and usually occur in low protein states. Exudates are substances that have escaped from blood vessels. They contain an accumulation of cells and have a high specific gravity and a high lactate dehydrogenase level. Exudates usually occur in response to a malignancy. infection. or inflammatory process. A chest tube is rarely necessary because the amount of fluid typically isn’t large enough to warrant such a measure. Pleural effusions can’t drain by themselves.Rate this question:
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Current Version
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Nov 16, 2023Quiz Edited by
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Sep 26, 2017Quiz Created by
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