PRACTICE SEIDEL'S GUIDE TO
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION 9TH
EDITION BALL {CHAPTERS 06-10}
Chapter 06: Vital Signs and Pain Assessment
Ball: Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Body temperature is regulated by the:
a. thalamus.
b. hypothalamus.
c. medulla.
d. pons.
e. cerebellum.
ANS: B
Body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus.
TOP: Discipline: Pathophysiology MSC: Organ System: General
,2. Which of the following is not involved in increasing body temperature?
a. Exogenous pyrogens
b. Vasoconstriction
c. Shivering
d. Vasodilation
e. Prostaglandins
ANS: D
Body cooling occurs by vasodilation, which increases heat loss through the skin and
evaporation of perspiration.
TOP: Discipline: Pathophysiology MSC: Organ System: General
3. Which of the following is most closely related to damage or dysfunction of the central or
peripheral nervous system?
a. Chronic pain
b. Neuropathic pain
c. Acute pain
d. Acute inflammation
e. Surgery
ANS: B
Neuropathic pain is a long-term pain associated with damage or dysfunction of the
central or peripheral nervous system (e.g., amputation, complex pain syndrome).
TOP: Discipline: Pathophysiology MSC: Organ System: General
,4. Nociceptors transmit pain impulses from the periphery along A-delta and C-polymodal
fibers to the:
a. posterior horn of the spinal cord.
b. hypothalamus.
c. cerebellum.
d. dorsal horn of the spinal cord.
e. pons.
ANS: D
Pain impulses travel from the site of injury to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and
then through the ascending spinal tracts to the thalamus and cerebral cortex.
TOP: Discipline: Pathophysiology MSC: Organ System: General
5. Which of the following make infants more susceptible to hypothermia?
a. Low body surface area for weight
b. Thicker skin
c. Limited ability to cope with cold stress
d. Higher pulse rate
e. Lower blood pressure
ANS: C
Infants are more susceptible to hypothermia because of their large ratio of body
surface area to weight, thinner skin, and limited ability to cope with cold stress.
Infants have a higher pulse rate and lower blood pressure than adults, but this is
unrelated to hypothermia.
, TOP: Discipline: Pathophysiology MSC: Organ System: General
6. A 5-year-old is complaining of non descriptive “belly pain.” Your next action should be
to ask him to:
a. point a finger to the spot that hurts.
b. draw a circle around the area that hurts.
c. use a metaphor to describe the pain.
d. identifywhat makes the pain worse.
e. allow him to use a “pain-o-meter.”
ANS: A
Asking the child to point to the area of pain can help communicate a more precise
location. The other choices are not appropriate for the age of the child.
TOP: Discipline: Behavioral Science MSC: Organ System: General
7. During pregnancy, all of the following may be related to back pain except:
a. lax pelvic ligaments.
b. weight gain.
c. hyperlordosis.
d. anterior tilt of the pelvis.
e. lower blood pressure.
ANS: E