WGU D236 Objective Assessment Pathophysiology Exam (Updated for 2024/2025) – Verified Questions and Answers for an A Grade

WGU D236 pathophysiology: Objective As
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sessment Questions and Verified Answers |
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Latest 2023/2024 GRADEDA+
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WhatlislStarling'slLawloflCapillarylforces?


Howldoeslthislexplainlwhylalnutritionallyldeficientlchildlwouldlhaveledema?


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☑️☑️Starling'slLawldescribeslhowlfluidslmovelacrosslthelcapillarylmembrane.lTherelareltwolmajorlopposinglf
l




orceslthatlactltolbalanceleachlother,lhydrostaticlpressurel(pushinglwaterloutloflthelcapillaries)landlosmoti

clpressurel(includinglonconticlpressure,lwhichlpusheslfluidlintolthelcapillaries).




Bothlelectrolyteslandlproteinsl(onconticlpressure)linlthelbloodlaffectlosmoticlpressure,lhighlele

ctrolytelandlproteinlconcentrationslinlthelbloodlwouldlcauselwaterltolleavelthelcellslandlintersti

tiallspacelandlenterlthelbloodlstreamltoldilutelthelhighlconcentrations.




On,lthelotherlhand,llowlelectrolytelandlproteinlconcentrationsl(aslseenlinlalnutritionallyldeficientlchild)lw

ouldlcauselwaterltolleavelthelcapillarieslandlenterlthelcellslandlinterstitiallfluidlwhichlcanlleadltoledema.




HowldoeslthelRAASl(Renin-Angiotensin-

AldosteronelSystem)lresultlinlincreasedlbloodlvolumelandlincreasedlbloodlpressure?

,WGUlD236lpathophysiologylOAlExamlStudylGuidel2023lQuestionslandlAnswers



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☑️☑️Aldroplinlbloodlpressurelislsensedlbylthelkidneyslbyllowlperfusion,lwhichlinlturnlbeginsltolsecretelrenin.
l




Reninlthenltriggerslthelliverltolproducelangiotensinogen,lwhichlislconvertedltolAngiotensinlIlinlthellungslan

dlthenlangiotensinlIIlbylthelenzyme




Angiotensin-

convertinglenzymel(ACE).lAngiotensinlIIlstimulateslperipherallarteriallvasoconstrictionlwhichlraiseslBP.




AngiotensinlIIlislalsolstimulatingltheladrenallglandltolreleaselaldosterone,lwhichlactsltolincreaselsodiumla

ndlwaterlreabsorptionlincreasinglbloodlvolume,lwhilelalsolincreasedlpotassiumlsecretionlinlurine.




Howlcanlhyperkalemialleadltolcardiaclarrest?


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☑️☑️Normalllevelsloflpotassiumlarelbetweenl3.5landl5.2lmEq/dL.lHyperkalemialrefersltolpotassiu
l




mllevelslhigherlthatl5.2lmEq/dL.




Almajorlfunctionloflpotassiumlisltolconductlnervelimpulseslinlmuscles.lToollowlandlmusclelweaknessloccursl

andltoolmuchlcanlcauselmusclelspasms.

,WGUlD236lpathophysiologylOAlExamlStudylGuidel2023lQuestionslandlAnswers



Thislislespeciallyldangerouslinlthelheartlmusclelandlanlirregularlheartbeatlcanlcauselalheartlattack




ThelbodyluseslthelProteinlBufferinglSystem,lPhosphatelBufferinglSystem,landlCarboniclAcid-

BicarbonatelSystemltolregulatelandlmaintainlhomeostaticlpH,lwhatlislthelconsequenceloflalpHlimbalance
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- ☑️☑️ProteinslcontainlmanylacidiclandlbasiclgrouplthatlcanlbelaffectedlbylpHlchanges.lAnylincreaselorldecre

aselinlbloodlpHlcanlalterlthelstructureloflthelproteinl(denature),ltherebylaffectinglitslfunctionlaslwell




Describelthellaboratorylfindingslassociatedlwithlmetaboliclacidosis,lmetaboliclalkalosis,lrespiratorylacidosis

andlrespiratorylalkalosis.l(ielrelativelpHlandlCO2llevels).
l




- ☑️☑️NormallABGsl(ArteriallBloodlGases)lBloodlpH:l7.35-7.45lPCO2:l35-45lmmlHglPO2:l90-

100lmmlHglHCO3-:l22-26lmEq/LlSaO2:l95-100%




RespiratorylacidosislandlalkalosislarelmarkedlbylchangeslinlPCO2.lHigherl=lacidosislandllowerl=lalkalosis




MetaboliclacidosislandlalkalosislarelcausedlbylsomethinglotherlthanlabnormallCO2llevels.lThislcouldlincludel

toxicity,ldiabetes,lrenallfailurelorlexcessivelGIllosses.

, WGUlD236lpathophysiologylOAlExamlStudylGuidel2023lQuestionslandlAnswers



Herelarelthelrulesltolfollowltoldetermineliflislrespiratorylorlmetaboliclinlnature.l-

IflpHlandlPCO2larelmovinglinloppositeldirections,lthenlitlislthelpCO2llevelslthatlarelcausinglthelimbalancelan

dlitlislrespiratorylinlnature.




-IflPCO2lislnormallorlislmovinglinlthelsameldirectionlaslthelpH,lthenlthelimbalancelislmetaboliclinlnature.




Thelanionlgaplisltheldifferencelbetweenlmeasuredlcationsl(Na+landlK+)landlmeasuredlanionsl(Cl-

andlHCO3-),lthislcalculationlcanlbelusefullinldetermininglthelcauseloflmetaboliclacidosis.
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Whylwouldlanlincreasedlanionlgaplbelobservedlinldiabeticlketoacidosislorllacticlacidosis?


- ☑️☑️Thel anionl gapl isl thel calculationl ofl unmeasuredl anionsl inl thel blood.




Lacticlacidlandlketoneslbothlleadltolthelproductionloflunmeasuredlanions,lwhichlremovelHCO3-

(almeasuredlanion)ldueltolbufferingloflthelexcesslH+landlthereforelleadsltolanlincreaselinlthelAG.
l




Whylislitlimportantltolmaintainlalhomeostaticlbalanceloflglucoselinlthelbloodl(ieldescribelthelpathogenesislo

fldiabetes)?


- ☑️☑️Insulinlislthelhormonelresponsiblelforlinitiatingltheluptakeloflglucoselbylthelcells.lCellsluselglucosel

tolproducelenergyl(ATP).