NURS 611 Pathophysiology Exam 4 Newest
Exam Questions and Answers (2026) |
100% Verified Solutions
• Appendicitis -✓✓Most common in children 10 to 11 years of age, up to 19
Most common surgical emergency in the abdomen
10 cases per 10,000 persons
RLQ pain, low-grade fever, nausea, rebound tenderness at McBurney's point.
P/P: Inflammation of the vermiform appendix, which is a projection from the apex of the
cecum, becomes hypoxic
• Cirrhosis -✓✓Scar tissue replaces healthy hepatocyte tissue and is an irreversible
inflammatory, fibrotic liver disease. It distorts the architecture of the liver parenchyma.
Prevalence 4.5 million
Mortality rate of 44,358 deaths yearly
R/F: Hepatitis C, alcohol-related liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),
and hepatitis B is the most common cause of cirrhosis.
• Colorectal Cancers -✓✓
• Pancreatic Cancer -✓✓Fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.
• Celiac Disease -✓✓Know as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an
autoimmune disease that damages small intestinal villous epithelium when gluten
(gliadin), the protein component of wheat derivatives, barley, or rye, is ingested.
P/P: HLA-DQ2- or HLA-DQ8-induced CD4+ T-cell-mediated autoimmune injury to
genetically susceptible individuals' small intestinal epithelial cells.
• Gluten Sensitivity -✓✓Patients will not have positive antibodies, nor will they exhibit
classic intestinal villous atrophy.
• Portal hypertension -✓✓Thrombosis of the portal vein is the most common cause of
portal hypertension in children, and splenomegaly is the most common sign.
• Primary lactose intolerance -✓✓P/P: The inability to digest milk sugar because of a
lack of the enzyme lactase results in osmotic diarrhea.
S/S: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence
,TX: A diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and
polyols (FODMAPs) or probiotics
• Intussusception -✓✓Telescoping of a proximal segment of the intestine into a distal
segment causes an obstruction. It occurs most commonly in the area of the ileocecal
junction.
• GERD -✓✓Reflux of acid and pepsin or bile salts from the stomach into the
esophagus, causing esophagitis
Prevalence: 18% to 27% in North America.
R/F: Age, obesity, hiatal hernia, drugs (anticholinergics, nitrates, calcium channel
blockers, nicotine), asthma, chronic cough.
P/P: Change in 20 mmHG LES resting pressure prevents backflow related to distention
D/T: Spontaneous relaxation of the LES may be triggered by gastric distention after
meals and trigger acid reflux. Acid reflux may be triggered by diet and lifestyle factors
such as food intake that causes delayed gastric emptying, acidic foods, and obesity.
Sliding hiatal hernia facilitates reflux.21 Vomiting, coughing, lifting, bending, and
pregnancy also increase abdominal pressure, contributing to the development of reflux
esophagitis.
S/S: Pyrosis (heartburn), acid regurgitation, dysphagia, chest pain, chronic cough,
asthma attacks, laryngitis, hoarseness, RUQ 1 hour of eating are less common.
R/F: Lying down after meals, ( IP pressure: coughing, vomiting, or straining at stool),
Edema, strictures, esophageal spasm, or decreased esophageal motility, Alcohol or
Citrus, Acidic Foods
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an idiopathic chronic allergic/immune disease
• Hirschsprung disease -✓✓"Congenital Aganglionic Megacolon"
Caused by a malformation of the parasympathetic nervous system in a segment of the
colon needed for peristalsis, resulting in colon obstruction.
• Volvulus -✓✓Twisting of the bowel on itself, intestinal malrotation, the small intestine
lacks a normal posterior attachment during fetal development, may partly or completely
occlude the GI tract and its blood vessels.
• Lactose malabsorption -✓✓Small bowel's inability to absorb ingested lactose due to
lactase deficiency.
, • Lactase Deficiency -✓✓Lower than expected activity of lactase at the brush border of
the intestine.
• Cow Milk Allergy -✓✓Diagnosed through hydrogen lactose breath test or an oral
lactose tolerance test
• Diarrhea -✓✓It is defined as three or more watery or loose stools in 24 hours.
• Acute Infectious Diarrhea -✓✓Associated with viral or bacterial gastroenteritis from
contaminated food or water.
Viruses include rotaviruses, noroviruses, and adenoviruses, COVID-19
C. difficile is often associated with previous antibiotic therapy.
E. Coli and Shiga Toxin causes HUS
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome -✓✓Acute thrombotic microangiopathy is characterized by
hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia and may cause acute renal failure.
Caused by E. Coli and Shiga Toxin diarrhea
Secretory Diarrhea
• Osmotic Diarrhea -✓✓Draws fluid into the lumen by osmosis - more water is pulled
into the bowel.
Examples: synthetic absorbable sugars, sorbitol, dumping syndrome associated with
GASTRIC resection), lactulose, celiac disease and lactose intolerance
Large Volume
• Intestinal Dysmotility -✓✓Reduces intestinal transit time with luminal fluid retention -
Increased peristalsis
Examples:
Resection of the SMALL INTESTINE (short bowel resection), fistula, diabetic
Neuropathy, hyperthyroidism and laxative abuse, IBS
• The inflammatory process causes increased gut motility and type of secretory diarrhea
that results in malabsorption and an increased luminal osmotic load from nutrients, fluid,
and blood -✓✓Inflammatory Diarrhea
Examples: Inflammatory bowel disease UC or CD
(Not to be confused with IBS)
Exam Questions and Answers (2026) |
100% Verified Solutions
• Appendicitis -✓✓Most common in children 10 to 11 years of age, up to 19
Most common surgical emergency in the abdomen
10 cases per 10,000 persons
RLQ pain, low-grade fever, nausea, rebound tenderness at McBurney's point.
P/P: Inflammation of the vermiform appendix, which is a projection from the apex of the
cecum, becomes hypoxic
• Cirrhosis -✓✓Scar tissue replaces healthy hepatocyte tissue and is an irreversible
inflammatory, fibrotic liver disease. It distorts the architecture of the liver parenchyma.
Prevalence 4.5 million
Mortality rate of 44,358 deaths yearly
R/F: Hepatitis C, alcohol-related liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),
and hepatitis B is the most common cause of cirrhosis.
• Colorectal Cancers -✓✓
• Pancreatic Cancer -✓✓Fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.
• Celiac Disease -✓✓Know as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an
autoimmune disease that damages small intestinal villous epithelium when gluten
(gliadin), the protein component of wheat derivatives, barley, or rye, is ingested.
P/P: HLA-DQ2- or HLA-DQ8-induced CD4+ T-cell-mediated autoimmune injury to
genetically susceptible individuals' small intestinal epithelial cells.
• Gluten Sensitivity -✓✓Patients will not have positive antibodies, nor will they exhibit
classic intestinal villous atrophy.
• Portal hypertension -✓✓Thrombosis of the portal vein is the most common cause of
portal hypertension in children, and splenomegaly is the most common sign.
• Primary lactose intolerance -✓✓P/P: The inability to digest milk sugar because of a
lack of the enzyme lactase results in osmotic diarrhea.
S/S: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence
,TX: A diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and
polyols (FODMAPs) or probiotics
• Intussusception -✓✓Telescoping of a proximal segment of the intestine into a distal
segment causes an obstruction. It occurs most commonly in the area of the ileocecal
junction.
• GERD -✓✓Reflux of acid and pepsin or bile salts from the stomach into the
esophagus, causing esophagitis
Prevalence: 18% to 27% in North America.
R/F: Age, obesity, hiatal hernia, drugs (anticholinergics, nitrates, calcium channel
blockers, nicotine), asthma, chronic cough.
P/P: Change in 20 mmHG LES resting pressure prevents backflow related to distention
D/T: Spontaneous relaxation of the LES may be triggered by gastric distention after
meals and trigger acid reflux. Acid reflux may be triggered by diet and lifestyle factors
such as food intake that causes delayed gastric emptying, acidic foods, and obesity.
Sliding hiatal hernia facilitates reflux.21 Vomiting, coughing, lifting, bending, and
pregnancy also increase abdominal pressure, contributing to the development of reflux
esophagitis.
S/S: Pyrosis (heartburn), acid regurgitation, dysphagia, chest pain, chronic cough,
asthma attacks, laryngitis, hoarseness, RUQ 1 hour of eating are less common.
R/F: Lying down after meals, ( IP pressure: coughing, vomiting, or straining at stool),
Edema, strictures, esophageal spasm, or decreased esophageal motility, Alcohol or
Citrus, Acidic Foods
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an idiopathic chronic allergic/immune disease
• Hirschsprung disease -✓✓"Congenital Aganglionic Megacolon"
Caused by a malformation of the parasympathetic nervous system in a segment of the
colon needed for peristalsis, resulting in colon obstruction.
• Volvulus -✓✓Twisting of the bowel on itself, intestinal malrotation, the small intestine
lacks a normal posterior attachment during fetal development, may partly or completely
occlude the GI tract and its blood vessels.
• Lactose malabsorption -✓✓Small bowel's inability to absorb ingested lactose due to
lactase deficiency.
, • Lactase Deficiency -✓✓Lower than expected activity of lactase at the brush border of
the intestine.
• Cow Milk Allergy -✓✓Diagnosed through hydrogen lactose breath test or an oral
lactose tolerance test
• Diarrhea -✓✓It is defined as three or more watery or loose stools in 24 hours.
• Acute Infectious Diarrhea -✓✓Associated with viral or bacterial gastroenteritis from
contaminated food or water.
Viruses include rotaviruses, noroviruses, and adenoviruses, COVID-19
C. difficile is often associated with previous antibiotic therapy.
E. Coli and Shiga Toxin causes HUS
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome -✓✓Acute thrombotic microangiopathy is characterized by
hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia and may cause acute renal failure.
Caused by E. Coli and Shiga Toxin diarrhea
Secretory Diarrhea
• Osmotic Diarrhea -✓✓Draws fluid into the lumen by osmosis - more water is pulled
into the bowel.
Examples: synthetic absorbable sugars, sorbitol, dumping syndrome associated with
GASTRIC resection), lactulose, celiac disease and lactose intolerance
Large Volume
• Intestinal Dysmotility -✓✓Reduces intestinal transit time with luminal fluid retention -
Increased peristalsis
Examples:
Resection of the SMALL INTESTINE (short bowel resection), fistula, diabetic
Neuropathy, hyperthyroidism and laxative abuse, IBS
• The inflammatory process causes increased gut motility and type of secretory diarrhea
that results in malabsorption and an increased luminal osmotic load from nutrients, fluid,
and blood -✓✓Inflammatory Diarrhea
Examples: Inflammatory bowel disease UC or CD
(Not to be confused with IBS)
