Egans Fundamentals of Respiratory Care
(13th Edition) – Test Bank
CHAPTER 1 – PREPARING FOR THE PATIENT ENCOUNTER
1. Which of the following activities is not part of the role of respiratory
therapists (RTs) in patient assessment?
A) Assist the physician with diagnostic reasoning skills
B) Help the physician select appropriate pulmonary function tests
C) Interpret arterial blood gas values and suggest mechanical ventilation changes
D) Document the patient diagnosis in the patient’s chart
Rationale: RTs are not qualified to make an official diagnosis; this is the role of
the attending physician. The other tasks are within the scope of respiratory care
practice.
2. In which of the following stages of patient–clinician interaction is the review
of physician orders carried out?
A) Treatment stage
B) Introductory stage
C) Pre-interaction stage
D) Initial assessment stage
Rationale: Physician orders should be reviewed in the patient’s chart before the
clinician enters the room, which occurs during the pre-interaction stage.
3. Which of the following activities is best performed in the personal space
(about 2–4 feet from the patient)?
A) The interview
,B) The introduction
C) The physical examination
D) Listening for breath sounds
Rationale: The interview is best conducted with the clinician sitting 2–4 feet
away. Sitting further away forces the patient to speak loudly, impairing
communication of private information.
4. What type of behavior is least appropriate in the patient’s intimate space?
A) Eye contact
B) Pulse check
C) Auscultation
D) Simple commands
Rationale: Eye contact is inappropriate in the intimate space and will make the
patient very uncomfortable.
5. You are riding in an elevator with a colleague who asks, “How is Mr.
Copper doing?” Mr. Copper had a cardiac arrest and is being ventilated.
What is the most appropriate response?
A) “He took a turn for the worse.”
B) “He is fine.”
C) “Let’s talk later in the report room.”
D) “He is on a ventilator and will keep you very busy.”
Rationale: Discussing patient details in a public area violates confidentiality. The
professional response is to defer the conversation to a private location.
CHAPTER 2 – THE MEDICAL HISTORY AND THE INTERVIEW
,6. The initial purpose of an interview is to:
A) Make a medical diagnosis
B) Gather information about the patient’s current and past health status
C) Establish a therapeutic relationship
D) Provide patient education
Rationale: The interview’s primary goal is data collection, not diagnosis, therapy,
or relationship building, though those may follow.
7. Which of the following is an open-ended question that encourages the
patient to elaborate?
A) “Do you have chest pain?”
B) “Can you tell me more about your breathing difficulty?”
C) “Is your cough productive?”
D) “Have you ever smoked cigarettes?”
Rationale: Open-ended questions invite the patient to describe symptoms in their
own words, providing richer information.
8. During the interview, a patient becomes tearful and emotional. The best
response is to:
A) Move quickly to the next question to avoid embarrassment
B) Acknowledge the emotion and offer a brief pause
C) End the interview and return later
D) Ask the patient to control their emotions
Rationale: Acknowledging the patient’s feelings maintains rapport and trust. A
short pause allows the patient to regain composure.
9. Closed-ended questions are most useful for:
A) Exploring the patient’s feelings
B) Obtaining specific, factual information quickly
, C) Encouraging the patient to tell a story
D) Building rapport
Rationale: Closed-ended questions (e.g., “When did the pain begin?”) yield
precise information efficiently.
10. Which of the following is a directive that facilitates efficient data collection
during the interview?
A) “I understand this is difficult for you.”
B) “Tell me everything about your breathing.”
C) “What brought you to the hospital?”
D) “Would you like to discuss your treatment plan?”
Rationale: The question “What brought you to the hospital?” is a standard opening
directive that focuses the interview on the chief complaint.
CHAPTER 3 – CARDIOPULMONARY SYMPTOMS
11. Which of the following symptoms is most specific to respiratory disease?
A) Fatigue
B) Weight loss
C) Fever
D) Hemoptysis
Rationale: Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) is strongly associated with respiratory
conditions such as bronchitis, bronchiectasis, or lung cancer.
12. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) is characterized by:
A) Difficulty breathing during exercise
B) Shortness of breath when lying flat
(13th Edition) – Test Bank
CHAPTER 1 – PREPARING FOR THE PATIENT ENCOUNTER
1. Which of the following activities is not part of the role of respiratory
therapists (RTs) in patient assessment?
A) Assist the physician with diagnostic reasoning skills
B) Help the physician select appropriate pulmonary function tests
C) Interpret arterial blood gas values and suggest mechanical ventilation changes
D) Document the patient diagnosis in the patient’s chart
Rationale: RTs are not qualified to make an official diagnosis; this is the role of
the attending physician. The other tasks are within the scope of respiratory care
practice.
2. In which of the following stages of patient–clinician interaction is the review
of physician orders carried out?
A) Treatment stage
B) Introductory stage
C) Pre-interaction stage
D) Initial assessment stage
Rationale: Physician orders should be reviewed in the patient’s chart before the
clinician enters the room, which occurs during the pre-interaction stage.
3. Which of the following activities is best performed in the personal space
(about 2–4 feet from the patient)?
A) The interview
,B) The introduction
C) The physical examination
D) Listening for breath sounds
Rationale: The interview is best conducted with the clinician sitting 2–4 feet
away. Sitting further away forces the patient to speak loudly, impairing
communication of private information.
4. What type of behavior is least appropriate in the patient’s intimate space?
A) Eye contact
B) Pulse check
C) Auscultation
D) Simple commands
Rationale: Eye contact is inappropriate in the intimate space and will make the
patient very uncomfortable.
5. You are riding in an elevator with a colleague who asks, “How is Mr.
Copper doing?” Mr. Copper had a cardiac arrest and is being ventilated.
What is the most appropriate response?
A) “He took a turn for the worse.”
B) “He is fine.”
C) “Let’s talk later in the report room.”
D) “He is on a ventilator and will keep you very busy.”
Rationale: Discussing patient details in a public area violates confidentiality. The
professional response is to defer the conversation to a private location.
CHAPTER 2 – THE MEDICAL HISTORY AND THE INTERVIEW
,6. The initial purpose of an interview is to:
A) Make a medical diagnosis
B) Gather information about the patient’s current and past health status
C) Establish a therapeutic relationship
D) Provide patient education
Rationale: The interview’s primary goal is data collection, not diagnosis, therapy,
or relationship building, though those may follow.
7. Which of the following is an open-ended question that encourages the
patient to elaborate?
A) “Do you have chest pain?”
B) “Can you tell me more about your breathing difficulty?”
C) “Is your cough productive?”
D) “Have you ever smoked cigarettes?”
Rationale: Open-ended questions invite the patient to describe symptoms in their
own words, providing richer information.
8. During the interview, a patient becomes tearful and emotional. The best
response is to:
A) Move quickly to the next question to avoid embarrassment
B) Acknowledge the emotion and offer a brief pause
C) End the interview and return later
D) Ask the patient to control their emotions
Rationale: Acknowledging the patient’s feelings maintains rapport and trust. A
short pause allows the patient to regain composure.
9. Closed-ended questions are most useful for:
A) Exploring the patient’s feelings
B) Obtaining specific, factual information quickly
, C) Encouraging the patient to tell a story
D) Building rapport
Rationale: Closed-ended questions (e.g., “When did the pain begin?”) yield
precise information efficiently.
10. Which of the following is a directive that facilitates efficient data collection
during the interview?
A) “I understand this is difficult for you.”
B) “Tell me everything about your breathing.”
C) “What brought you to the hospital?”
D) “Would you like to discuss your treatment plan?”
Rationale: The question “What brought you to the hospital?” is a standard opening
directive that focuses the interview on the chief complaint.
CHAPTER 3 – CARDIOPULMONARY SYMPTOMS
11. Which of the following symptoms is most specific to respiratory disease?
A) Fatigue
B) Weight loss
C) Fever
D) Hemoptysis
Rationale: Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) is strongly associated with respiratory
conditions such as bronchitis, bronchiectasis, or lung cancer.
12. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) is characterized by:
A) Difficulty breathing during exercise
B) Shortness of breath when lying flat
