HEALTH ASSESSMENT (NURS 326) THORAX
AND LUNGS QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE
SOLUTIONS ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY.
,Thorax and Lungs
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The nurse is teaching the nursing students to palpate the vertebra prominins when beginning
posterior thoracic assessment of a patient. The students will:
a. Look for the spinous process of C7.
b. Usually not be able to palpate this on most individuals.
c. Find the interior border of the scapula.
d. Locate this next to the manubrium of the sternum.
ANS: A
The spinous process of C7 is the vertebra prominins and is the most prominent bony spur
protruding at the base of the neck. Counting ribs and intercostal spaces on the posterior
thorax is difficult because of the muscles and soft tissue. The vertebra prominins is easier to
identify and is used as a starting point in counting thoracic processes and identifying
landmarks on the posterior chest.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: General
2. When performing a respiratory assessment on a patient, the nurse notes a costal angle of
approximately 90 degrees. This characteristic is:
a. Observed in patients with kyphosis.
b. Indicative of pectus U S N T O
c. A normal finding in a healthy adult.
d. An expected finding in a patient with a barrel chest.
ANS: C
The right and left costal margins form an angle where they meet at the xiphoid process.
Usually, this angle is 90 degrees or less. The angle increases when the rib cage is
chronically overinflated, as in emphysema.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
3. When assessing a patient’s lungs, the nurse recognizes that the left lung:
a. Consists of two lobes.
b. Is divided by the horizontal fissure.
c. Primarily consists of an upper lobe on the posterior chest.
d. Is shorter than the right lung because of the underlying stomach.
ANS: A
The left lung has two lobes, and the right lung has three lobes. The right lung is shorter than
the left lung because of the underlying liver. The left lung is narrower than the right lung
because the heart bulges to the left. The posterior chest is almost all lower lobes.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
, MSC: Client Needs: General
4. The nurse landmarks the apices of the lungs to:
a. Be at the level of the second rib anteriorly.
b. Extend 3 to 4 cm above the inner third of the clavicles.
c. Be located at the sixth rib anteriorly and the eighth rib laterally.
d. Rest on the diaphragm at the fifth intercostal space in the midclavicular line
(MCL).
ANS: B
The apex of the lung on the anterior chest is 3 to 4 cm above the inner third of the clavicles.
On the posterior chest, the apices are at the level of C7.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: General
5. During an examination of the anterior thorax, the nurse is aware that the trachea bifurcates
anteriorly at the:
a. Costal angle.
b. Sternal angle.
c. Xiphoid process.
d. Suprasternal notch.
ANS: B
The sternal angle marks the site of tracheal bifurcation into the right and left main bronchi;
it corresponds with the upper borders of the atria of the heart, and it lies above the fourth
thoracic vertebra on the bacNk. R I G B.C M
U S N T O
DIF: Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
6. During an assessment, the nurse knows that expected assessment findings in the normal
adult lung include the presence of:
a. Adventitious sounds and limited chest expansion.
b. Increased tactile fremitus and dull percussion tones.
c. Muffled voice sounds and symmetrical tactile fremitus.
d. Absent voice sounds and hyper-resonant percussion tones.
ANS: C
Normal lung findings include symmetrical chest expansion, resonant percussion tones,
vesicular breath sounds over the peripheral lung fields, muffled voice sounds, and no
adventitious sounds.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
7. The primary respiratory muscles engaged in normal inspiration include the:
a. Diaphragm and intercostals.
b. Sternomastoid and scalene.
c. Trapezius and rectus abdominis.
AND LUNGS QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE
SOLUTIONS ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY.
,Thorax and Lungs
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The nurse is teaching the nursing students to palpate the vertebra prominins when beginning
posterior thoracic assessment of a patient. The students will:
a. Look for the spinous process of C7.
b. Usually not be able to palpate this on most individuals.
c. Find the interior border of the scapula.
d. Locate this next to the manubrium of the sternum.
ANS: A
The spinous process of C7 is the vertebra prominins and is the most prominent bony spur
protruding at the base of the neck. Counting ribs and intercostal spaces on the posterior
thorax is difficult because of the muscles and soft tissue. The vertebra prominins is easier to
identify and is used as a starting point in counting thoracic processes and identifying
landmarks on the posterior chest.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: General
2. When performing a respiratory assessment on a patient, the nurse notes a costal angle of
approximately 90 degrees. This characteristic is:
a. Observed in patients with kyphosis.
b. Indicative of pectus U S N T O
c. A normal finding in a healthy adult.
d. An expected finding in a patient with a barrel chest.
ANS: C
The right and left costal margins form an angle where they meet at the xiphoid process.
Usually, this angle is 90 degrees or less. The angle increases when the rib cage is
chronically overinflated, as in emphysema.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
3. When assessing a patient’s lungs, the nurse recognizes that the left lung:
a. Consists of two lobes.
b. Is divided by the horizontal fissure.
c. Primarily consists of an upper lobe on the posterior chest.
d. Is shorter than the right lung because of the underlying stomach.
ANS: A
The left lung has two lobes, and the right lung has three lobes. The right lung is shorter than
the left lung because of the underlying liver. The left lung is narrower than the right lung
because the heart bulges to the left. The posterior chest is almost all lower lobes.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
, MSC: Client Needs: General
4. The nurse landmarks the apices of the lungs to:
a. Be at the level of the second rib anteriorly.
b. Extend 3 to 4 cm above the inner third of the clavicles.
c. Be located at the sixth rib anteriorly and the eighth rib laterally.
d. Rest on the diaphragm at the fifth intercostal space in the midclavicular line
(MCL).
ANS: B
The apex of the lung on the anterior chest is 3 to 4 cm above the inner third of the clavicles.
On the posterior chest, the apices are at the level of C7.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: General
5. During an examination of the anterior thorax, the nurse is aware that the trachea bifurcates
anteriorly at the:
a. Costal angle.
b. Sternal angle.
c. Xiphoid process.
d. Suprasternal notch.
ANS: B
The sternal angle marks the site of tracheal bifurcation into the right and left main bronchi;
it corresponds with the upper borders of the atria of the heart, and it lies above the fourth
thoracic vertebra on the bacNk. R I G B.C M
U S N T O
DIF: Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
6. During an assessment, the nurse knows that expected assessment findings in the normal
adult lung include the presence of:
a. Adventitious sounds and limited chest expansion.
b. Increased tactile fremitus and dull percussion tones.
c. Muffled voice sounds and symmetrical tactile fremitus.
d. Absent voice sounds and hyper-resonant percussion tones.
ANS: C
Normal lung findings include symmetrical chest expansion, resonant percussion tones,
vesicular breath sounds over the peripheral lung fields, muffled voice sounds, and no
adventitious sounds.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
7. The primary respiratory muscles engaged in normal inspiration include the:
a. Diaphragm and intercostals.
b. Sternomastoid and scalene.
c. Trapezius and rectus abdominis.
