WGU D236 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY STUDY GUIDE-QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
duodenal ulcers - ✔type of peptic ulcer; upper small intestine; pain in mid to upper
stomach region; increased pain when empty or wakes in night
cerebral contusion - ✔severe headache, dizziness, vomiting, increased size of one
pupil, sudden weakness in arm/leg; restless/agitated/irritable; last hours to weeks; brain
swelling with increased drowsiness/confusion; vital signs show decreased HR,
decreased RR, HTN due to pressure on the brain stem
acidosis proton production - ✔increased proton production for decreased pH
alkalosis proton production - ✔decreased proton production for increased pH
polycystic ovarian syndrome - ✔pt's hormones are imbalanced with an excess of hair
growth (hirsutism), acne, obesity, and irregular periods with increased androgens (sex
hormones)
avulsion fracture - ✔broken bone in which the site of muscle, tendon, or ligament
insertion is detached by a forceful pull
dehydrated pt - ✔increased ADH levels and RAAS is activated
Turner syndrome - ✔A chromosomal disorder in females in which either an X
chromosome is missing, making the person XO instead of XX, or part of one X
chromosome is deleted; underdeveloped ovaries and breasts with wide nipples, short
stature (4'7"), webbing of neck, edema,; dx: ECHO, bone density; tx: estrogen therapy,
growth hormone
CKD stages - ✔GFR levels: 120-90 -> normal; 89-60 -> stage 1; 59-45 -> stage 2; 44-
30 -> stage 3; 29-15 -> stage 4; 15 and below -> end stage/stage 5
primary hypothyroidism - ✔abnormality in the thyroid gland itself; primary is thyroid and
secondary is pituitary
Cullen sign - ✔bruising around umbilicus (pancreatitis or ectopic pregnancy)
ulcerative colitis - ✔autoimmune disease; large intestine with focus on colon, rectum;
affects the mucosal layer; more likely for bloody stools (vs crohns); pseudopolyps (vs
cobblestone with crohns)
Bells Palsy - ✔A localized facial nerve dysfunction that causes facial droop and
numbness; caused by viruses such as measles, mumps, hand/foot/mouth, chicken
pox/shingles, flu B
osteomalacia and rickets - ✔softening of the bones due to vitamin D deficiency; change
in bone mineralization
, WGU D236 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY STUDY GUIDE-QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
osteoporosis - ✔loss of bone mass; osteoclasts are breaking down more bone than the
osteoblasts are rebuilding
Why DKA? - ✔HCO3 is consumed by excess H+ in the blood which causes the
increased anion gap
Turp - ✔transurethral resection of the prostate due to benign prostatic hyperplasia
(overgrowth)
osteoarthritis - ✔inflammation of the bone and joints noted by herbeden (fingertips) and
bouchard (middle joints) nodes; small swollen bumps that grow on the joints
parathyroid gland - ✔lower levels lead to decreased Ca+ and increased phorphorus;
symptoms: hair loss, dry/coarse skin, brittle nails, depression/anxiety, painful periods,
tingling/burning fingertips/toes/lips, muscle aches/cramps in legs/feet/stomach/face,
twitching/spasms around mouth/hands/arms, increased fatigue/weakness
squamous cell carcinoma - ✔red, scaly, crust, non-healing ulcer or firm nodule; red
lesion
actinic keratosis - ✔a precancerous skin growth that occurs on sun-damaged skin;
rough, scaly, red plaques
T4 cells - ✔the immune system cells that are the targets of HIV; helper cells
MRSA - ✔Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus; an infectious disease caused
by a pathogen that is resistant to many antibiotics; staph infection
COPD - ✔chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder; umbrellas emphysema, asthma,
chronic bronchitis
Cirrhosis symptoms - ✔anemia, fatigue, fever, enlarged liver/ascites, jaundice
ESRD - ✔end-stage renal disease; brittle nails, itchy skin, decreased urine output,
increased fatigue
gestational diabetes - ✔diabetes that develops during pregnancy; high A1C
basal cell carcinoma - ✔Most common and least severe type of skin cancer; often
characterized by light or pearly nodules less than 6mm
spina bifida - ✔a congenital defect that occurs during early pregnancy when the spinal
canal fails to close completely around the spinal cord to protect it; missing folic acid
AND ANSWERS
duodenal ulcers - ✔type of peptic ulcer; upper small intestine; pain in mid to upper
stomach region; increased pain when empty or wakes in night
cerebral contusion - ✔severe headache, dizziness, vomiting, increased size of one
pupil, sudden weakness in arm/leg; restless/agitated/irritable; last hours to weeks; brain
swelling with increased drowsiness/confusion; vital signs show decreased HR,
decreased RR, HTN due to pressure on the brain stem
acidosis proton production - ✔increased proton production for decreased pH
alkalosis proton production - ✔decreased proton production for increased pH
polycystic ovarian syndrome - ✔pt's hormones are imbalanced with an excess of hair
growth (hirsutism), acne, obesity, and irregular periods with increased androgens (sex
hormones)
avulsion fracture - ✔broken bone in which the site of muscle, tendon, or ligament
insertion is detached by a forceful pull
dehydrated pt - ✔increased ADH levels and RAAS is activated
Turner syndrome - ✔A chromosomal disorder in females in which either an X
chromosome is missing, making the person XO instead of XX, or part of one X
chromosome is deleted; underdeveloped ovaries and breasts with wide nipples, short
stature (4'7"), webbing of neck, edema,; dx: ECHO, bone density; tx: estrogen therapy,
growth hormone
CKD stages - ✔GFR levels: 120-90 -> normal; 89-60 -> stage 1; 59-45 -> stage 2; 44-
30 -> stage 3; 29-15 -> stage 4; 15 and below -> end stage/stage 5
primary hypothyroidism - ✔abnormality in the thyroid gland itself; primary is thyroid and
secondary is pituitary
Cullen sign - ✔bruising around umbilicus (pancreatitis or ectopic pregnancy)
ulcerative colitis - ✔autoimmune disease; large intestine with focus on colon, rectum;
affects the mucosal layer; more likely for bloody stools (vs crohns); pseudopolyps (vs
cobblestone with crohns)
Bells Palsy - ✔A localized facial nerve dysfunction that causes facial droop and
numbness; caused by viruses such as measles, mumps, hand/foot/mouth, chicken
pox/shingles, flu B
osteomalacia and rickets - ✔softening of the bones due to vitamin D deficiency; change
in bone mineralization
, WGU D236 PATHOPHYSIOLOGY STUDY GUIDE-QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
osteoporosis - ✔loss of bone mass; osteoclasts are breaking down more bone than the
osteoblasts are rebuilding
Why DKA? - ✔HCO3 is consumed by excess H+ in the blood which causes the
increased anion gap
Turp - ✔transurethral resection of the prostate due to benign prostatic hyperplasia
(overgrowth)
osteoarthritis - ✔inflammation of the bone and joints noted by herbeden (fingertips) and
bouchard (middle joints) nodes; small swollen bumps that grow on the joints
parathyroid gland - ✔lower levels lead to decreased Ca+ and increased phorphorus;
symptoms: hair loss, dry/coarse skin, brittle nails, depression/anxiety, painful periods,
tingling/burning fingertips/toes/lips, muscle aches/cramps in legs/feet/stomach/face,
twitching/spasms around mouth/hands/arms, increased fatigue/weakness
squamous cell carcinoma - ✔red, scaly, crust, non-healing ulcer or firm nodule; red
lesion
actinic keratosis - ✔a precancerous skin growth that occurs on sun-damaged skin;
rough, scaly, red plaques
T4 cells - ✔the immune system cells that are the targets of HIV; helper cells
MRSA - ✔Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus; an infectious disease caused
by a pathogen that is resistant to many antibiotics; staph infection
COPD - ✔chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder; umbrellas emphysema, asthma,
chronic bronchitis
Cirrhosis symptoms - ✔anemia, fatigue, fever, enlarged liver/ascites, jaundice
ESRD - ✔end-stage renal disease; brittle nails, itchy skin, decreased urine output,
increased fatigue
gestational diabetes - ✔diabetes that develops during pregnancy; high A1C
basal cell carcinoma - ✔Most common and least severe type of skin cancer; often
characterized by light or pearly nodules less than 6mm
spina bifida - ✔a congenital defect that occurs during early pregnancy when the spinal
canal fails to close completely around the spinal cord to protect it; missing folic acid
