NSG 6021-6020 RESPIRATORY QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
A mother brings her infant to you because of a "rattle" in his chest with breathing. Which
of the following would you hear if there were a problem in the upper airway? - Answers
- Inspiratory sounds
All of the following produce a chronic cough except:
Chronic Bronchitis
Allergic Rhinitis
Acute viral upper respiratory infection - Answers - Acute viral upper respiratory
infection
A 47-year-old receptionist comes to your office, complaining of fever, shortness of
breath, and a productive cough with golden sputum. She says she had a cold last week
and her symptoms have only gotten worse, despite using over-the-counter cold
remedies. She denies any weight gain, weight loss, or cardiac or gastrointestinal
symptoms. Her past medical history includes type 2 diabetes for 5 years and high
cholesterol. She takes an oral medication for both diseases. She has had no surgeries.
She denies tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her mother has diabetes and high blood
pressure. Her father passed away from colon cancer. On examination you see a middle-
aged woman appearing her stated age. She looks ill and her temperature is elevated, at
101. Her blood pressure and pulse are unremarkable. Her head, eyes, ears, nose, and
throat examinations are unremarkable except for edema of the nasal turbinates. On
auscultation she - Answers - Pneumonia
Which of the following is consistent with good percussion technique? - Answers -
Strike the pleximeter over the distal interphalangeal joint.
Which of the following conditions would produce a hyperresonant percussion note? -
Answers - Large Pneumothorax
Which of the following is a normal physiological lung sound? Vesicular
Stridor
Wheezing
Rhonchi - Answers - Vesicular
A patient complains of shortness of breath for the past few days. On examination, you
note late inspiratory crackles in the lower third of the chest that were not present a week
ago. What is the most likely explanation for these? - Answers - Heart Failure
A 60-year-old baker presents to your clinic, complaining of increasing shortness of
breath and nonproductive cough over the last month. She feels like she can't do as
much activity as she used to do without becoming tired. She even has to sleep upright
in her recliner at night to be able to breathe comfortably. She denies any chest pain,
, nausea, or sweating. Her past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and
coronary artery disease. She had a hysterectomy in her 40s for heavy vaginal bleeding.
She is married and is retiring from the local bakery soon. She denies any tobacco,
alcohol, or drug use. Her mother died of a stroke and her father died from prostate
cancer. She denies any recent upper respiratory illness, and she has had no other
symptoms. On examination she is in no acute distress. Her blood pressure is 160/100
and her pulse is 100. She is afebrile and her respiratory rate is 16. With auscul -
Answers - Left-sided heart failure
A male patient states that he has difficulty breathing when he is lying down but when he
sits up, it improves. This is a classic description of: - Answers - Orthopnea
A patient states that the only way he can sleep at night is to use several pillows or to
sleep upright in a recliner. This sleep pattern is most consistent with: - Answers -
obstructive lung disease
When crackles, wheezes, or rhonchi clear with a cough, which of the following is a
likely etiology? - Answers - Bronchitis
Which of the following is characteristic of COPD?
Asymmetric chest expansion
Increased lateral diameter
Increased anterior-posterior diameter
Pectus excavatum - Answers - Increased anterior-posterior diameter
When palpating the posterior chest, the clinician notes increased tactile fremitus over
the left lower lobe. This can be indicative of:
Pneumonia
Emphysema
Pneumothorax
Asthma - Answers - Pneumonia
During physical examination of a patient, you note resonance on percussion in the
upper lung fields. This is consistent with:
COPD
Pneumothorax
A normal finding
Pleural effusion - Answers - A normal finding
Which of the following imaging studies should be considered if a pulmonary malignancy
is suspected?
Computed tomography (CT) scan
Chest xray with PA, lateral, and lordotic views
Ultrasound
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan - Answers - Computed tomography (CT)
scan
ANSWERS
A mother brings her infant to you because of a "rattle" in his chest with breathing. Which
of the following would you hear if there were a problem in the upper airway? - Answers
- Inspiratory sounds
All of the following produce a chronic cough except:
Chronic Bronchitis
Allergic Rhinitis
Acute viral upper respiratory infection - Answers - Acute viral upper respiratory
infection
A 47-year-old receptionist comes to your office, complaining of fever, shortness of
breath, and a productive cough with golden sputum. She says she had a cold last week
and her symptoms have only gotten worse, despite using over-the-counter cold
remedies. She denies any weight gain, weight loss, or cardiac or gastrointestinal
symptoms. Her past medical history includes type 2 diabetes for 5 years and high
cholesterol. She takes an oral medication for both diseases. She has had no surgeries.
She denies tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her mother has diabetes and high blood
pressure. Her father passed away from colon cancer. On examination you see a middle-
aged woman appearing her stated age. She looks ill and her temperature is elevated, at
101. Her blood pressure and pulse are unremarkable. Her head, eyes, ears, nose, and
throat examinations are unremarkable except for edema of the nasal turbinates. On
auscultation she - Answers - Pneumonia
Which of the following is consistent with good percussion technique? - Answers -
Strike the pleximeter over the distal interphalangeal joint.
Which of the following conditions would produce a hyperresonant percussion note? -
Answers - Large Pneumothorax
Which of the following is a normal physiological lung sound? Vesicular
Stridor
Wheezing
Rhonchi - Answers - Vesicular
A patient complains of shortness of breath for the past few days. On examination, you
note late inspiratory crackles in the lower third of the chest that were not present a week
ago. What is the most likely explanation for these? - Answers - Heart Failure
A 60-year-old baker presents to your clinic, complaining of increasing shortness of
breath and nonproductive cough over the last month. She feels like she can't do as
much activity as she used to do without becoming tired. She even has to sleep upright
in her recliner at night to be able to breathe comfortably. She denies any chest pain,
, nausea, or sweating. Her past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and
coronary artery disease. She had a hysterectomy in her 40s for heavy vaginal bleeding.
She is married and is retiring from the local bakery soon. She denies any tobacco,
alcohol, or drug use. Her mother died of a stroke and her father died from prostate
cancer. She denies any recent upper respiratory illness, and she has had no other
symptoms. On examination she is in no acute distress. Her blood pressure is 160/100
and her pulse is 100. She is afebrile and her respiratory rate is 16. With auscul -
Answers - Left-sided heart failure
A male patient states that he has difficulty breathing when he is lying down but when he
sits up, it improves. This is a classic description of: - Answers - Orthopnea
A patient states that the only way he can sleep at night is to use several pillows or to
sleep upright in a recliner. This sleep pattern is most consistent with: - Answers -
obstructive lung disease
When crackles, wheezes, or rhonchi clear with a cough, which of the following is a
likely etiology? - Answers - Bronchitis
Which of the following is characteristic of COPD?
Asymmetric chest expansion
Increased lateral diameter
Increased anterior-posterior diameter
Pectus excavatum - Answers - Increased anterior-posterior diameter
When palpating the posterior chest, the clinician notes increased tactile fremitus over
the left lower lobe. This can be indicative of:
Pneumonia
Emphysema
Pneumothorax
Asthma - Answers - Pneumonia
During physical examination of a patient, you note resonance on percussion in the
upper lung fields. This is consistent with:
COPD
Pneumothorax
A normal finding
Pleural effusion - Answers - A normal finding
Which of the following imaging studies should be considered if a pulmonary malignancy
is suspected?
Computed tomography (CT) scan
Chest xray with PA, lateral, and lordotic views
Ultrasound
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan - Answers - Computed tomography (CT)
scan
