NUR 242 MED SURG EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What is ventilation? - (ANSWER)the movement of air into and out of the lungs
What is perfusion? - (ANSWER)the circulation of blood through the lungs
What are central chemoreceptors responsive to? - (ANSWER)increased H+ in the brain ECF;
increased PaCO2;
"hypercarbic drive"
What are peripheral chemoreceptors responsive to? - (ANSWER)decreased pH;
increased PaCO2;
decreased PaO2;
"hypoxic drive"
What are elastic forces? - (ANSWER)lungs recoil due to elastin, collagen, fibrin
What are surface forces? - (ANSWER)surface tension due to water-air interface
What is airway resistance? - (ANSWER)opposition to flow caused by the forces of friction; primarily
determined by airway radius
What is the distensibility of the lungs? - (ANSWER)ease with which the lungs can be inflated
What is lung distensibility increased in? - (ANSWER)neonates and children;
emphysema
What is lung distensibility decreased in? - (ANSWER)elderly;
pneumonia, pulmonary edema, ARDS, atelectasis, fibrosis
,NUR 242 MED SURG EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What is surfactant? - (ANSWER)complex substance lining the alveoli and smallest bronchioles containing
phospholipids and a number of apoproteins which reduces surface tension throughout the lungs,
thereby contributing to its general compliance;
stabilizes the alveoli and keeps them dry
What produces surfactant? - (ANSWER)produced by the Type II alveolar cells
What is Ohm's law? - (ANSWER)velocity = driving force/resistance
What is Poiseuille law? - (ANSWER)resistance = (8 x viscosity x length) / (pi x radius^4)
What happens if the radius in the lungs goes down? - (ANSWER)the resistance goes up
How is the ventilation distributed in the lungs? - (ANSWER)the top of the lungs are more distended and
less compliant whereas the lower lung is small and highly compliant
What factors affect lung perfusion? - (ANSWER)lung capacitance;
low resistance system;
flow influenced by gravity;
resistance primarily determined by vessel radius
What does hypoxia lead to? - (ANSWER)vasoconstriction of pulmonary vessels
What does prolonged hypoxia lead to? - (ANSWER)pulmonary hypertension
What factors affect alveolar-capillary diffusion? - (ANSWER)capillary permeability;
surface area available for diffusion;
concentration gradient for the gas;
,NUR 242 MED SURG EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
distance for diffusion
What causes right shifts (decreased affinity) in Hemoglobin-O2 affinity? - (ANSWER)acidemia;
hyperthermia;
hypercarbia
What causes left shifts (increased affinity) in Hemoglobin-O2 affinity? - (ANSWER)alkalemia;
hypothermia;
hypocarbia
What is hypoxemia? - (ANSWER)deficient blood oxygen;
low PaO2;
low O2 saturation
What is hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen
What is hypoxic hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased respirations
What is anemic hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased hemoglobin
What is circulatory hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased blood flow
What is histotoxic hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen caused by increased toxic substance
What is ischemia? - (ANSWER)greatly reduced or interrupted flow through the arterial system,
producing significant tissue hypoxia
What is hypercapnia? - (ANSWER)increased level of CO2 in the blood
, NUR 242 MED SURG EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What are S&S of acute hypoxia? - (ANSWER)dyspnea; restlessness; palpitations; agitation; headache;
tremors; diaphoresis; respiratory distress; cyanosis; tachypnea; tachycardia; dysrhythmias;
hypertension; lethargy; confusion to coma
What are some effects of hypercapnia? - (ANSWER)respiratory acidosis (decreased pH from increase in
CO2); lethargy and confusion; increased HR and BP; flushed skin; arrhythmias; seizures; coma; death
What is dyspnea? - (ANSWER)subjective feeling of being SOB
What does dyspnea lead to? - (ANSWER)decreased sense of wellness which may cause psychological and
social consequences
What is the leading cause of cancer death? - (ANSWER)lung cancer
What is lung cancer most likely caused by? - (ANSWER)cigarette smoking;
asbestos;
familial predisposition
What are the manifestations of lung cancer? - (ANSWER)cough, hemoptysis (blood in cough sputum);
hoarseness;
chest pain;
often disseminated (spread widely) at time of diagnosis
What are the types of bronchogenic carcinomas? - (ANSWER)squamous cell lung carcinoma (25-40%);
adenocarcinoma (20-40%);
small cell carcinoma (20-25%);
large cell carcinoma (10-15%)
What is ventilation? - (ANSWER)the movement of air into and out of the lungs
What is perfusion? - (ANSWER)the circulation of blood through the lungs
What are central chemoreceptors responsive to? - (ANSWER)increased H+ in the brain ECF;
increased PaCO2;
"hypercarbic drive"
What are peripheral chemoreceptors responsive to? - (ANSWER)decreased pH;
increased PaCO2;
decreased PaO2;
"hypoxic drive"
What are elastic forces? - (ANSWER)lungs recoil due to elastin, collagen, fibrin
What are surface forces? - (ANSWER)surface tension due to water-air interface
What is airway resistance? - (ANSWER)opposition to flow caused by the forces of friction; primarily
determined by airway radius
What is the distensibility of the lungs? - (ANSWER)ease with which the lungs can be inflated
What is lung distensibility increased in? - (ANSWER)neonates and children;
emphysema
What is lung distensibility decreased in? - (ANSWER)elderly;
pneumonia, pulmonary edema, ARDS, atelectasis, fibrosis
,NUR 242 MED SURG EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What is surfactant? - (ANSWER)complex substance lining the alveoli and smallest bronchioles containing
phospholipids and a number of apoproteins which reduces surface tension throughout the lungs,
thereby contributing to its general compliance;
stabilizes the alveoli and keeps them dry
What produces surfactant? - (ANSWER)produced by the Type II alveolar cells
What is Ohm's law? - (ANSWER)velocity = driving force/resistance
What is Poiseuille law? - (ANSWER)resistance = (8 x viscosity x length) / (pi x radius^4)
What happens if the radius in the lungs goes down? - (ANSWER)the resistance goes up
How is the ventilation distributed in the lungs? - (ANSWER)the top of the lungs are more distended and
less compliant whereas the lower lung is small and highly compliant
What factors affect lung perfusion? - (ANSWER)lung capacitance;
low resistance system;
flow influenced by gravity;
resistance primarily determined by vessel radius
What does hypoxia lead to? - (ANSWER)vasoconstriction of pulmonary vessels
What does prolonged hypoxia lead to? - (ANSWER)pulmonary hypertension
What factors affect alveolar-capillary diffusion? - (ANSWER)capillary permeability;
surface area available for diffusion;
concentration gradient for the gas;
,NUR 242 MED SURG EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
distance for diffusion
What causes right shifts (decreased affinity) in Hemoglobin-O2 affinity? - (ANSWER)acidemia;
hyperthermia;
hypercarbia
What causes left shifts (increased affinity) in Hemoglobin-O2 affinity? - (ANSWER)alkalemia;
hypothermia;
hypocarbia
What is hypoxemia? - (ANSWER)deficient blood oxygen;
low PaO2;
low O2 saturation
What is hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen
What is hypoxic hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased respirations
What is anemic hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased hemoglobin
What is circulatory hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen caused by decreased blood flow
What is histotoxic hypoxia? - (ANSWER)decreased tissue oxygen caused by increased toxic substance
What is ischemia? - (ANSWER)greatly reduced or interrupted flow through the arterial system,
producing significant tissue hypoxia
What is hypercapnia? - (ANSWER)increased level of CO2 in the blood
, NUR 242 MED SURG EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
What are S&S of acute hypoxia? - (ANSWER)dyspnea; restlessness; palpitations; agitation; headache;
tremors; diaphoresis; respiratory distress; cyanosis; tachypnea; tachycardia; dysrhythmias;
hypertension; lethargy; confusion to coma
What are some effects of hypercapnia? - (ANSWER)respiratory acidosis (decreased pH from increase in
CO2); lethargy and confusion; increased HR and BP; flushed skin; arrhythmias; seizures; coma; death
What is dyspnea? - (ANSWER)subjective feeling of being SOB
What does dyspnea lead to? - (ANSWER)decreased sense of wellness which may cause psychological and
social consequences
What is the leading cause of cancer death? - (ANSWER)lung cancer
What is lung cancer most likely caused by? - (ANSWER)cigarette smoking;
asbestos;
familial predisposition
What are the manifestations of lung cancer? - (ANSWER)cough, hemoptysis (blood in cough sputum);
hoarseness;
chest pain;
often disseminated (spread widely) at time of diagnosis
What are the types of bronchogenic carcinomas? - (ANSWER)squamous cell lung carcinoma (25-40%);
adenocarcinoma (20-40%);
small cell carcinoma (20-25%);
large cell carcinoma (10-15%)
