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NRS 222: ENDOCRINE EMERGENCIES
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS WITH
EXPLANATIONS 2026\2027 UPDATE
1. A nurse receives a client that came by ambulance. The nurse suspects
that this client is in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Which of the following
signs would suggest DKA?
A) Anuria
B) Strawberry red tongue
C) Halitosis
D) Fruity breath: Fruity breath
Clients in DKA often have fruity odor on their breath, which is caused by excess
ketones in the body.
2. The nurse is admitting a client with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The
client has a history of type 1 diabetes and informs the nurse that she
been taking really good care of herself and her blood glucose has been
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"really really good." Which of the following assessment data leads the
nurse to question this statement?
A) Hemoglobin A1C 13%
B) Fingerstick blood sugar of 492 mg/dL
C) Fruity breath
D) Total cholesterol 321 mg/dL: Hemoglobin A1C 13%
A hemoglobin A1C of 13% indicates that over the last 3 months the client has
been averaging a blood sugar of 326 mg/dL, indicating very poorly controlled
blood sugars.
3. A 45-year-old diabetic client has been brought in for care of diabetic
ketoacidosis. The client's blood glucose level is 367 mg/dL and blood pH
is 7.28. Which of the following respiratory rates would the nurse most
likely expect to see in this situation?
A) 8/min
B) 16/min
C) 24/min
D) 36/min: 36/min
The client with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) would most likely have Kussmaul
respirations, which are rapid and deep. A respiratory rate of 36/minute is
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abnormally high and would most likely be associated with the rapid breathing
pattern of DKA. This is a metabolic acidosis that will continue until the
condition is corrected. The rapid breathing rate is the body's way to
compensate for the acidosis, but is unlikely to fully correct the client's pH level.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has developed diabetic ketoacidosis.
The client has a breathing pattern in which he takes rapid and very deep
breaths with large tidal volumes. Which of the following best describes
this type of breathing?
A) Biot's respiration
B) Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
C) Kussmaul's respirations
D) Cheyne-Stokes respirations: Kussmaul's respirations
Kussmaul's respirations involve an abnormal pattern of breathing that is often
associated with a condition of metabolic acidosis, such as with diabetic
ketoacidosis. Kussmaul's respirations are characterized by a rapid breathing
rate in which the client takes very deep breaths. The client may breathe in this
manner when the body is trying to compensate in metabolic acidosis.
5. A nurse is working with a client who is brought in the emergency
department with abdominal pain and dehydration. His glucose level is
NRS 222: ENDOCRINE EMERGENCIES
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS WITH
EXPLANATIONS 2026\2027 UPDATE
1. A nurse receives a client that came by ambulance. The nurse suspects
that this client is in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Which of the following
signs would suggest DKA?
A) Anuria
B) Strawberry red tongue
C) Halitosis
D) Fruity breath: Fruity breath
Clients in DKA often have fruity odor on their breath, which is caused by excess
ketones in the body.
2. The nurse is admitting a client with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The
client has a history of type 1 diabetes and informs the nurse that she
been taking really good care of herself and her blood glucose has been
, 2
"really really good." Which of the following assessment data leads the
nurse to question this statement?
A) Hemoglobin A1C 13%
B) Fingerstick blood sugar of 492 mg/dL
C) Fruity breath
D) Total cholesterol 321 mg/dL: Hemoglobin A1C 13%
A hemoglobin A1C of 13% indicates that over the last 3 months the client has
been averaging a blood sugar of 326 mg/dL, indicating very poorly controlled
blood sugars.
3. A 45-year-old diabetic client has been brought in for care of diabetic
ketoacidosis. The client's blood glucose level is 367 mg/dL and blood pH
is 7.28. Which of the following respiratory rates would the nurse most
likely expect to see in this situation?
A) 8/min
B) 16/min
C) 24/min
D) 36/min: 36/min
The client with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) would most likely have Kussmaul
respirations, which are rapid and deep. A respiratory rate of 36/minute is
, 3
abnormally high and would most likely be associated with the rapid breathing
pattern of DKA. This is a metabolic acidosis that will continue until the
condition is corrected. The rapid breathing rate is the body's way to
compensate for the acidosis, but is unlikely to fully correct the client's pH level.
4. A nurse is caring for a client who has developed diabetic ketoacidosis.
The client has a breathing pattern in which he takes rapid and very deep
breaths with large tidal volumes. Which of the following best describes
this type of breathing?
A) Biot's respiration
B) Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
C) Kussmaul's respirations
D) Cheyne-Stokes respirations: Kussmaul's respirations
Kussmaul's respirations involve an abnormal pattern of breathing that is often
associated with a condition of metabolic acidosis, such as with diabetic
ketoacidosis. Kussmaul's respirations are characterized by a rapid breathing
rate in which the client takes very deep breaths. The client may breathe in this
manner when the body is trying to compensate in metabolic acidosis.
5. A nurse is working with a client who is brought in the emergency
department with abdominal pain and dehydration. His glucose level is
