NURSING 180 EXAM 1 VERIFIED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS INCLUDING RATIONALES (100% CORRECT ANSWERS) / ALREADY GRADED A+(REAL DEAL)

NURSING 180 EXAM 1 VERIFIED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
INCLUDING RATIONALES (100% CORRECT ANSWERS) / ALREADY GRADED
A+(REAL DEAL)


Question 1
What are the two key processes involved in oxygenation?
A) Inspiration and expiration
B) Inhalation and cellular regulation
C) Ventilation and perfusion
D) Diffusion and osmosis
E) Contraction and relaxation
Correct Answer: C) Ventilation and perfusion
Rationale: Oxygenation is a comprehensive process that involves ventilation, which is the
exchange of gases, and perfusion, which is the circulation of blood to deliver oxygen and
remove waste.

Question 2
A nurse is assessing a patient for adequate oxygenation. Which of the following is a key
assessment parameter?
A) Blood pressure
B) Heart rhythm
C) Skin color and capillary refill
D) Body temperature
E) Pupil response
Correct Answer: C) Skin color and capillary refill
Rationale: Assessing skin color for cyanosis and checking capillary refill in the nailbeds are
direct ways to evaluate how well oxygenated blood is perfusing the peripheral tissues.

Question 3
Which clinical sign indicates an increased work of breathing in a patient with respiratory
distress?
A) Bradycardia
B) Decreased respiratory rate

,C) Use of intercostal muscles
D) Flushed skin
E) Normal pulse oximetry
Correct Answer: C) Use of intercostal muscles
Rationale: The use of accessory muscles, such as the intercostal muscles, along with nasal
flaring and labored breathing, are signs that a patient is expending extra effort to breathe,
indicating respiratory distress.

Question 4
A patient is admitted with a suspected oxygenation problem. The nurse would anticipate seeing
which change in vital signs?
A) An increase in respiratory rate and a decrease in pulse oximetry
B) A decrease in respiratory rate and an increase in pulse oximetry
C) A stable respiratory rate and a pulse oximetry of 98%
D) A decrease in heart rate and respiratory rate
E) An increase in blood pressure and a normal respiratory rate
Correct Answer: A) An increase in respiratory rate and a decrease in pulse oximetry
Rationale: In response to poor oxygenation (hypoxia), the body tries to compensate by
breathing faster (increased respiratory rate). A decrease in pulse oximetry is a direct measure
of reduced oxygen saturation in the blood.

Question 5
What is the primary pathophysiological feature of chronic bronchitis?
A) Destruction and enlargement of alveoli
B) An increase in the number and size of goblet cells leading to excessive mucus
C) A deficiency in the enzyme protease
D) The breakdown of elastin in the lung tissue
E) An embolism blocking a pulmonary capillary
Correct Answer: B) An increase in the number and size of goblet cells leading to excessive
mucus
Rationale: Chronic bronchitis is defined by inflammation that causes the goblet cells, which

,produce mucus, to increase in size and number, leading to excessive mucus production and a
chronic cough.

Question 6
Which pathophysiological process is characteristic of emphysema?
A) Impaired function of cilia in the bronchioles
B) Excessive mucus production in the large airways
C) Destruction or enlargement of the alveoli
D) Vasoconstriction of the pulmonary artery
E) Persistent inflammation and edema of the bronchi
Correct Answer: C) Destruction or enlargement of the alveoli
Rationale: Emphysema, a type of COPD, involves the breakdown of the alveolar walls due to
an excess of protease enzymes. This destruction leads to enlarged, ineffective air sacs.

Question 7
How are the stages of COPD classified?
A) Based on the patient's age and smoking history
B) Based on the amount of mucus the patient produces
C) Based on the severity determined by Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV)
D) Based on the patient's oxygen saturation at rest
E) Based on the presence of a barrel chest
Correct Answer: C) Based on the severity determined by Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV)
Rationale: The four stages of COPD are classified by severity, which is measured objectively
using pulmonary function tests, specifically the Forced Expiratory Volume in one second
(FEV1).

Question 8
What is the primary function of antitrypsin in the lungs?
A) To produce mucus in the airways
B) To regulate the protease enzyme and prevent the breakdown of elastin
C) To stimulate the cilia to clear secretions

, D) To cause the alveoli to expand during inhalation
E) To trigger the drive to breathe
Correct Answer: B) To regulate the protease enzyme and prevent the breakdown of elastin
Rationale: Antitrypsin is a crucial protein that inhibits the enzyme protease. A deficiency
allows protease to break down elastin, the protein that gives alveolar walls their elasticity,
leading to emphysema.

Question 9
Airway obstruction from COPD directly leads to which problem?
A) Hypocapnia (low CO2 levels)
B) Improved ventilation-perfusion ratio
C) Air (CO2) trapping and dyspnea
D) Decreased frequency of infections
E) Right-sided heart relaxation
Correct Answer: C) Air (CO2) trapping and dyspnea
Rationale: The obstruction in the airways prevents the efficient exhalation of air, leading to
the trapping of carbon dioxide. This results in hyperinflation and the sensation of shortness of
breath (dyspnea).

Question 10
What is the definition of physiological shunting?
A) An embolism is blocking blood flow to the alveoli.
B) The patient is breathing too rapidly.
C) Ventilation is impaired, and deoxygenated blood returns to circulation.
D) The alveoli have lost their elasticity.
E) There is adequate gas exchange but poor blood flow.
Correct Answer: C) Ventilation is impaired, and deoxygenated blood returns to circulation.
Rationale: Physiological shunting occurs when a portion of the lung is not being ventilated
(e.g., due to mucus plugging or airway narrowing), so blood passes through that area without
picking up oxygen and returns deoxygenated to the left side of the heart.