PULMONARY ACCN 5531 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026
mucoid Sputum - Answers Clear, thin
mucopurulent sputum - Answers Thick, viscous
purulent sputum - Answers Yellow, green, foul odor, blood tinged
Possible cause of Mucoid Sputum - Answers Bronchial asthma, Legionnaire's disease (greyish),
emphysema, neoplasms
Possible cause of Mucopurulent sputum - Answers Infection, pneumonia's, cystic fibrosis
Possible cause of yellow/ green purulent sputum - Answers Bronchiectasis, pseudomonas, pneumonia
Possible causes of blood tinged purulent sputum - Answers Streptococcal pneumonia, staphylococcus
pneumonia
Possible causes of foul smelling purulent sputum - Answers Lung abscess, aspirations, anaerobic
microbes
Gripping, squeezing, or dull heavy/ pressure like pain is a sign of ? - Answers MI or massive PE
Burning sensation that intensified with food ingestion - Answers Esophageal
Burning which intensifies with deep breathing or coughing is a sign of - Answers Aspiration, oxygen
toxicity, - worse in cold weather
Sharp pain, worse with movement is a sign of - Answers Local infection, blunt chest trauma
Stabbing, knife like pain increases with deep inspiration or coughing is a sign of - Answers Plural pain:
pneumothorax, PE, pleurisy (pleuritis)
paradoxical ventilation - Answers Expansion of the chest on inspiration while the abdomen recedes,
then the a deflation of the chest on expiration while the abdomen expands
central cyanosis - Answers decreased arterial oxygenation best detected in oral mucosa, lips, and skin
pleural fiction rub sounds - Answers Heating or sweeping sound. Sounds are intensified with a deep
breath and disappear when holding breath.
Why do normal breath sounds change over different areas of the lung ? - Answers Change in lung
tissue
bronchial sounds - Answers those heard over the trachea; high in pitch and intensity, with expiration
being longer than inspiration
vesicular sounds - Answers low-pitched, soft sounds heard over peripheral lung fields. Inspiration is
longer than expiration
Bronchovesicular sounds - Answers Are heard over the mainstream bronchus and are moderate
blowing sounds, with inspiration equal to expiration.
subcutaneous emphysema (crepitus) - Answers The presence of air in soft tissues, causing a
characteristic crackling sensation on palpation.
subcutaneous emphysema is caused by - Answers Alveolar rupture, blunt or penetrating chest wall
trauma, chest tube leak, pneumothorax
flail chest - Answers A condition in which two or more ribs are fractured in two or more places or in
association with a fracture of the sternum so that a segment of the chest wall is effectively detached
from the rest of the thoracic cage.
Kussmaul respirations - Answers Deep, regular, rapid, sighing breathing; caused by metabolic acidosis
cluster breathing - Answers Periods of irregular respiration's alternate with periods of apnea; cluster
breathing denotes a lesion in the pons.
Cheyne-Stokes respiration - Answers pattern of breathing characterized by a gradual increase of
depth, reach a peak, then decline. Followed by a period of apnea; Cheyne-stokes occur with upper
brain stem involvement.
Central neurogenic hyperventilation - Answers Sustained, regular, rapid respiration's at a rate greater
than 60/ min; related to lesions in the low midbrain or pons
Biot's respirations - Answers Irregular random respiration's. Several short breaths of equal depth are
followed by long, irregular periods of apnea; related to lesions at the midbrain or medullary level
Apneustic breathing - Answers prolonged inspiratory phase or pauses alternating with expiratory
pauses. Very slow rate; related to midbrain or low pons conditions
clubbing of nails - Answers finding in the nails that indicates chronic hypoxia, there is a loss of the nail
bed angulation. Instead of a normal 160 the angle may be 290.
Tidal Volume (TV) - Answers amount of air inhaled or exhaled with each breath under resting
conditions. Measured using a spirometer. Normal 500ml
mucoid Sputum - Answers Clear, thin
mucopurulent sputum - Answers Thick, viscous
purulent sputum - Answers Yellow, green, foul odor, blood tinged
Possible cause of Mucoid Sputum - Answers Bronchial asthma, Legionnaire's disease (greyish),
emphysema, neoplasms
Possible cause of Mucopurulent sputum - Answers Infection, pneumonia's, cystic fibrosis
Possible cause of yellow/ green purulent sputum - Answers Bronchiectasis, pseudomonas, pneumonia
Possible causes of blood tinged purulent sputum - Answers Streptococcal pneumonia, staphylococcus
pneumonia
Possible causes of foul smelling purulent sputum - Answers Lung abscess, aspirations, anaerobic
microbes
Gripping, squeezing, or dull heavy/ pressure like pain is a sign of ? - Answers MI or massive PE
Burning sensation that intensified with food ingestion - Answers Esophageal
Burning which intensifies with deep breathing or coughing is a sign of - Answers Aspiration, oxygen
toxicity, - worse in cold weather
Sharp pain, worse with movement is a sign of - Answers Local infection, blunt chest trauma
Stabbing, knife like pain increases with deep inspiration or coughing is a sign of - Answers Plural pain:
pneumothorax, PE, pleurisy (pleuritis)
paradoxical ventilation - Answers Expansion of the chest on inspiration while the abdomen recedes,
then the a deflation of the chest on expiration while the abdomen expands
central cyanosis - Answers decreased arterial oxygenation best detected in oral mucosa, lips, and skin
pleural fiction rub sounds - Answers Heating or sweeping sound. Sounds are intensified with a deep
breath and disappear when holding breath.
Why do normal breath sounds change over different areas of the lung ? - Answers Change in lung
tissue
bronchial sounds - Answers those heard over the trachea; high in pitch and intensity, with expiration
being longer than inspiration
vesicular sounds - Answers low-pitched, soft sounds heard over peripheral lung fields. Inspiration is
longer than expiration
Bronchovesicular sounds - Answers Are heard over the mainstream bronchus and are moderate
blowing sounds, with inspiration equal to expiration.
subcutaneous emphysema (crepitus) - Answers The presence of air in soft tissues, causing a
characteristic crackling sensation on palpation.
subcutaneous emphysema is caused by - Answers Alveolar rupture, blunt or penetrating chest wall
trauma, chest tube leak, pneumothorax
flail chest - Answers A condition in which two or more ribs are fractured in two or more places or in
association with a fracture of the sternum so that a segment of the chest wall is effectively detached
from the rest of the thoracic cage.
Kussmaul respirations - Answers Deep, regular, rapid, sighing breathing; caused by metabolic acidosis
cluster breathing - Answers Periods of irregular respiration's alternate with periods of apnea; cluster
breathing denotes a lesion in the pons.
Cheyne-Stokes respiration - Answers pattern of breathing characterized by a gradual increase of
depth, reach a peak, then decline. Followed by a period of apnea; Cheyne-stokes occur with upper
brain stem involvement.
Central neurogenic hyperventilation - Answers Sustained, regular, rapid respiration's at a rate greater
than 60/ min; related to lesions in the low midbrain or pons
Biot's respirations - Answers Irregular random respiration's. Several short breaths of equal depth are
followed by long, irregular periods of apnea; related to lesions at the midbrain or medullary level
Apneustic breathing - Answers prolonged inspiratory phase or pauses alternating with expiratory
pauses. Very slow rate; related to midbrain or low pons conditions
clubbing of nails - Answers finding in the nails that indicates chronic hypoxia, there is a loss of the nail
bed angulation. Instead of a normal 160 the angle may be 290.
Tidal Volume (TV) - Answers amount of air inhaled or exhaled with each breath under resting
conditions. Measured using a spirometer. Normal 500ml
