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MEDICAL SURGICAL EXAM 2 QUESTIONS NURSING
COMPREHENSIVE 2026 QUESTIONS EXAM LATEST
VERSION SOLVED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS VERIFIED
100 %
A medical nurse has admitted a patient to the unit with a diagnosis of failure to
thrive. The patient has developed a fever and cough, so a sputum specimen
has been obtained. The nurse notes that the sputum is greenish and that there
is a large quantity of it. The nurse notifies the patient's physician because
these symptoms are suggestive of what?
A) Pneumothorax
B) Lung tumors
C) Infection
D) Pulmonary edema
C) Infection
A patient has been diagnosed with heart failure that has not yet responded to
treatment. What breath sound should the nurse expect to assess on
auscultation?
A) Expiratory wheezes
B) Inspiratory wheezes
C) Rhonchi
D) Crackles
D) Crackles
A patient has a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. The nurse is aware that
neuromuscular disorders such as multiple sclerosis may lead to a decreased
vital capacity. What does vital capacity measure?
A) The volume of air inhaled and exhaled with each breath
B) The volume of air in the lungs after a maximal inspiration
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C) The maximal volume of air inhaled after normal expiration
D) The maximal volume of air exhaled from the point of maximal inspiration
D) The maximal volume of air exhaled from the point of maximal inspiration
While assessing an acutely ill patient's respiratory rate, the nurse assesses
four normal breaths followed by an episode of apnea lasting 20 seconds. How
should the nurse document this finding?
A) Eupnea
B) Apnea
C) Biot's respiration
D) Cheyne-Stokes
C) Biot's respiration
The nurse is caring for an elderly patient in the PACU. The patient has had a
bronchoscopy, and the nurse is monitoring for complications related to the
administration of lidocaine. For what complication related to the
administration of large doses of lidocaine in the elderly should the nurse
assess?
A) Decreased urine output and hypertension
B) Headache and vision changes
C) Confusion and lethargy
D) Jaundice and elevated liver enzymes
C) Confusion and lethargy
While assessing a patient who has pneumonia, the nurse has the patient
repeat the letter E while the nurses auscultates. The nurse notes that the
patient's voice sounds are distorted and that the letter A is audible instead of
the letter E. How should this finding be documented?
A) Bronchophony
B) Egophony
C) Whispered pectoriloquy
D) Sonorous wheezes
B) Egophony
The clinic nurse is caring for a patient who has been diagnosed with
emphysema and who has just had a pulmonary function test (PFT) ordered.
The patient asks, What exactly is this test for? What would be the nurse's best
response?
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A) A PFT measures how much air moves in and out of your lungs when you
breathe.
B) A PFT measures how much energy you get from the oxygen you breathe.
C) A PFT measures how elastic your lungs are.
D) A PFT measures whether oxygen and carbon dioxide move between your
lungs and your blood.
A) A PFT measures how much air moves in and out of your lungs when you breathe.
A patient is being treated for a pulmonary embolism and the medical nurse is
aware that the patient suffered an acute disturbance in pulmonary perfusion.
This involved an alteration in what aspect of normal physiology?
A) Maintenance of constant osmotic pressure in the alveoli
B) Maintenance of muscle tone in the diaphragm
C) pH balance in the pulmonary veins and arteries
D) Adequate flow of blood through the pulmonary circulation.
D) Adequate flow of blood through the pulmonary circulation.
The nurse is performing a respiratory assessment of an adult patient and is
attempting to distinguish between vesicular, bronchovesicular, and bronchial
(tubular) breath sounds. The nurse should distinguish between these normal
breath sounds on what basis?
A) Their location over a specific area of the lung
B) The volume of the sounds
C) Whether they are heard on inspiration or expiration
D) Whether or not they are continuous breath sounds
A) Their location over a specific area of the lung
A patient has been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, in which the
capillaries in the alveoli are squeezed excessively. The nurse should recognize
a disturbance in what aspect of normal respiratory function?
A) Acidbase balance
B) Perfusion
C) Diffusion
D) Ventilation
B) Perfusion
A patient is scheduled to have excess pleural fluid aspirated with a needle in
order to relieve her dyspnea. The patient inquires about the normal function of
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pleural fluid. What should the nurse describe?
A) It allows for full expansion of the lungs within the thoracic cavity.
B) It prevents the lungs from collapsing within the thoracic cavity.
C) It limits lung expansion within the thoracic cavity.
D) It lubricates the movement of the thorax and lungs.
D) It lubricates the movement of the thorax and lungs.
The nurse is caring for a patient with a lower respiratory tract infection. When
planning a focused respiratory assessment, the nurse should know that this
type of infection most often causes what?
A) Impaired gas exchange
B) Collapsed bronchial structures
C) Necrosis of the alveoli
D) Closed bronchial tree
A) Impaired gas exchange
The nurse is performing a respiratory assessment of a patient who has been
experiencing episodes of hypoxia. The nurse is aware that this is ultimately
attributable to impaired gas exchange. On what factor does adequate gas
exchange primarily depend?
A) An appropriate perfusiondiffusion ratio
B) An adequate ventilationperfusion ratio
C) Adequate diffusion of gas in shunted blood
D) Appropriate blood nitrogen concentration
B) An adequate ventilationperfusion ratio
The nurse is caring for a patient with lung metastases who just underwent a
mediastinotomy. What should be the focus of the nurse's postprocedure care?
A) Assisting with pulmonary function testing (PFT)
B) Maintaining the patient's chest tube
C) Administering oral suction as needed
D) Performing chest physiotherapy
B) Maintaining the patient's chest tube
The nurse is caring for a patient who has a pleural effusion and who
underwent a thoracoscopic procedure earlier in the morning. The nurse should
prioritize assessment for which of the following?
A) Sputum production
MEDICAL SURGICAL EXAM 2 QUESTIONS NURSING
COMPREHENSIVE 2026 QUESTIONS EXAM LATEST
VERSION SOLVED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS VERIFIED
100 %
A medical nurse has admitted a patient to the unit with a diagnosis of failure to
thrive. The patient has developed a fever and cough, so a sputum specimen
has been obtained. The nurse notes that the sputum is greenish and that there
is a large quantity of it. The nurse notifies the patient's physician because
these symptoms are suggestive of what?
A) Pneumothorax
B) Lung tumors
C) Infection
D) Pulmonary edema
C) Infection
A patient has been diagnosed with heart failure that has not yet responded to
treatment. What breath sound should the nurse expect to assess on
auscultation?
A) Expiratory wheezes
B) Inspiratory wheezes
C) Rhonchi
D) Crackles
D) Crackles
A patient has a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. The nurse is aware that
neuromuscular disorders such as multiple sclerosis may lead to a decreased
vital capacity. What does vital capacity measure?
A) The volume of air inhaled and exhaled with each breath
B) The volume of air in the lungs after a maximal inspiration
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C) The maximal volume of air inhaled after normal expiration
D) The maximal volume of air exhaled from the point of maximal inspiration
D) The maximal volume of air exhaled from the point of maximal inspiration
While assessing an acutely ill patient's respiratory rate, the nurse assesses
four normal breaths followed by an episode of apnea lasting 20 seconds. How
should the nurse document this finding?
A) Eupnea
B) Apnea
C) Biot's respiration
D) Cheyne-Stokes
C) Biot's respiration
The nurse is caring for an elderly patient in the PACU. The patient has had a
bronchoscopy, and the nurse is monitoring for complications related to the
administration of lidocaine. For what complication related to the
administration of large doses of lidocaine in the elderly should the nurse
assess?
A) Decreased urine output and hypertension
B) Headache and vision changes
C) Confusion and lethargy
D) Jaundice and elevated liver enzymes
C) Confusion and lethargy
While assessing a patient who has pneumonia, the nurse has the patient
repeat the letter E while the nurses auscultates. The nurse notes that the
patient's voice sounds are distorted and that the letter A is audible instead of
the letter E. How should this finding be documented?
A) Bronchophony
B) Egophony
C) Whispered pectoriloquy
D) Sonorous wheezes
B) Egophony
The clinic nurse is caring for a patient who has been diagnosed with
emphysema and who has just had a pulmonary function test (PFT) ordered.
The patient asks, What exactly is this test for? What would be the nurse's best
response?
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A) A PFT measures how much air moves in and out of your lungs when you
breathe.
B) A PFT measures how much energy you get from the oxygen you breathe.
C) A PFT measures how elastic your lungs are.
D) A PFT measures whether oxygen and carbon dioxide move between your
lungs and your blood.
A) A PFT measures how much air moves in and out of your lungs when you breathe.
A patient is being treated for a pulmonary embolism and the medical nurse is
aware that the patient suffered an acute disturbance in pulmonary perfusion.
This involved an alteration in what aspect of normal physiology?
A) Maintenance of constant osmotic pressure in the alveoli
B) Maintenance of muscle tone in the diaphragm
C) pH balance in the pulmonary veins and arteries
D) Adequate flow of blood through the pulmonary circulation.
D) Adequate flow of blood through the pulmonary circulation.
The nurse is performing a respiratory assessment of an adult patient and is
attempting to distinguish between vesicular, bronchovesicular, and bronchial
(tubular) breath sounds. The nurse should distinguish between these normal
breath sounds on what basis?
A) Their location over a specific area of the lung
B) The volume of the sounds
C) Whether they are heard on inspiration or expiration
D) Whether or not they are continuous breath sounds
A) Their location over a specific area of the lung
A patient has been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, in which the
capillaries in the alveoli are squeezed excessively. The nurse should recognize
a disturbance in what aspect of normal respiratory function?
A) Acidbase balance
B) Perfusion
C) Diffusion
D) Ventilation
B) Perfusion
A patient is scheduled to have excess pleural fluid aspirated with a needle in
order to relieve her dyspnea. The patient inquires about the normal function of
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pleural fluid. What should the nurse describe?
A) It allows for full expansion of the lungs within the thoracic cavity.
B) It prevents the lungs from collapsing within the thoracic cavity.
C) It limits lung expansion within the thoracic cavity.
D) It lubricates the movement of the thorax and lungs.
D) It lubricates the movement of the thorax and lungs.
The nurse is caring for a patient with a lower respiratory tract infection. When
planning a focused respiratory assessment, the nurse should know that this
type of infection most often causes what?
A) Impaired gas exchange
B) Collapsed bronchial structures
C) Necrosis of the alveoli
D) Closed bronchial tree
A) Impaired gas exchange
The nurse is performing a respiratory assessment of a patient who has been
experiencing episodes of hypoxia. The nurse is aware that this is ultimately
attributable to impaired gas exchange. On what factor does adequate gas
exchange primarily depend?
A) An appropriate perfusiondiffusion ratio
B) An adequate ventilationperfusion ratio
C) Adequate diffusion of gas in shunted blood
D) Appropriate blood nitrogen concentration
B) An adequate ventilationperfusion ratio
The nurse is caring for a patient with lung metastases who just underwent a
mediastinotomy. What should be the focus of the nurse's postprocedure care?
A) Assisting with pulmonary function testing (PFT)
B) Maintaining the patient's chest tube
C) Administering oral suction as needed
D) Performing chest physiotherapy
B) Maintaining the patient's chest tube
The nurse is caring for a patient who has a pleural effusion and who
underwent a thoracoscopic procedure earlier in the morning. The nurse should
prioritize assessment for which of the following?
A) Sputum production
