NUR 210 ACTUAL EXAM 3 TEST BANK |250 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | 2026 LATEST UPDATED| 100% RATED CORRECT | GET A+!!
1. What is the upper respiratory system composed of?: nose down to the trachea, also referred to as
"dead space"
2. What does dead space mean?: no gas exchange; no oxygen or CO2
3. Why do we have to account for dead space as nurses?: accounts for 500 ml; if we are
trying to ventilate a patient because we need to make sure they are receiving adequate ventilation and
getting enough air to overcome the dead space so they can have adequate gas exchange
4. What does the lower respiratory system consist of?: bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
5. where does gas exchange happen?: the alveoli
6. Describe how oxygen and CO2 moves through the body.: oxygen from the air that we
breath goes into the blood, to be pumped to the body, and then the CO2 from the blood goes to the
lungs so that we can exhale it
7. What is ventilation?: includes the inflow and the outflow of air: breathing in and out
chest wall movement: if the brain tells you there is too much CO2 that we need to breath your diaphragm
will contract and the pressure in the thoracic cavity goes down so that the air can go into your lungs,
when the air comes in the pressure equalizes and that is when we breath out
work of breathing: what is respiratory rate? is the chest moving bilaterally?
,8. What is flail chest?: when you have two or more breaks in the ribs; often seen in blunt thoracic or
chest trauma with a fall, car crash, CPR; chest wall moves opposite of what it should known as a
paradoxical movement; when they take a deep breath in the person's chest sinks and when they
expire it expands
9. What is compliance?: the ability of the bronchioles or bronchiole passages to expand and contract
and to let the air in; has to do with alveoli
10. Is it more or less difficult to expand an alveoli that has collapsed versus one that stays open?:
more difficult
11. What are factors that affect compliance of the airways?: inflammation: throat swelling,
any infection that happens in lungs can cause inflammation in lung passages; more difficult for air to
go in and out infection: bronchitis, pneumonia; bronchiole passages are stiffer increased mucous
production: cold
all make it more difficult for air to move in and out
12. What is surfactant?: increases surface tension or elasticity of the alveoli; helps keep them open
so patient doesn't have to work as hard to keep opening alveoli
13. What is an example of a potential nursing diagnosis related to compliance
respiratory issues?: ineffective airway clearance; if someone has pneumonia, bronchitis, etc
14. What is diffusion?: the movement of gases from areas of higher pressure concentration to lower
pressure concentration
,15. What is an example of a potential nursing diagnosis related to diffusion respiratory issues?:
impaired gas exchange
16. What are some factors that affect diffusion: decreased surface area: alveoli that are collapsed
patient has part of lung removed
infection with mucous and fluid; alveoli membrane is thick and gas can't get through; CHF,
pulmonary edema, pneumonia
perfusion of alveoli with blood that gas exchange goes into; caused by anemia, blood clot blocking
flow, or poor pumping of the heart
17. What is the term for collapsed alveoli?: atelectasis
18. Describe the pathway of air.: air enters through mouth or nose, through throat, enters trachea,
moves from trachea to the lungs, where it goes through left and right bronchus, through the
bronchioles, to the alveoli, alveoli inflate/deflate with inhalation and exhalation
19. Explain how gas exchange occurs.: lungs exchange oxygen to the bloodstream while CO2
passes from the blood to the lungs; oxygen attaches to RBC and travels to the heart while the CO2
in the lungs is exhaled 20. How is blood transported to the cells?: oxygen combines with
hemoglobin (oxyhemoglobin) and be carried to the tissues
21. What are we measuring when we put a pulse ox on somebody?: oxyhemoglobin
22. What are factors that affect pulse ox readings?: severe anemia: gives falsely low readings;
underestimates real pulse ox
, 23. What factors affect transportation?: decreased cardiac output: amount of blood heart pumps
with each beat; caused by lack of fluid (hypovolemia) and poorly pumping heart (CHF)
decreased hemoglobin: lack of red blood cells to carry oxygen; result of some type of anemia
24. Which part of the respiratory steps will each of these factors affect? pneumonia anesthesia
fractured ribs anemia CHF
asthma: pneumonia: compliance, diffusion (blockage by mucous)
anesthesia: ventilation (have to overcome dead space)
fractured ribs: ventilation (flail chest, paradoxical chest wall
movement) anemia: transportation (not enough RBC)
CHF: transportation (poorly pumping heart), diffusion (fluid
roadblock) asthma: compliance (inflammation and constriction)
blood clot in lungs: diffusion (poor perfusion due to clot blocking flow)
25. how do we asses the respiratory system?: looking for signs of hypoxia: lack of oxygen to
tissues
hypoxemia: lack of oxygen in the blood
26. what do we see with acute or emergent hypoxia?: first thing you see is changes in the
CNS; become confused, delirious, restless, agitated, "air hunger"
increased respiratory rate, HR, and BP
ANSWERS | 2026 LATEST UPDATED| 100% RATED CORRECT | GET A+!!
1. What is the upper respiratory system composed of?: nose down to the trachea, also referred to as
"dead space"
2. What does dead space mean?: no gas exchange; no oxygen or CO2
3. Why do we have to account for dead space as nurses?: accounts for 500 ml; if we are
trying to ventilate a patient because we need to make sure they are receiving adequate ventilation and
getting enough air to overcome the dead space so they can have adequate gas exchange
4. What does the lower respiratory system consist of?: bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
5. where does gas exchange happen?: the alveoli
6. Describe how oxygen and CO2 moves through the body.: oxygen from the air that we
breath goes into the blood, to be pumped to the body, and then the CO2 from the blood goes to the
lungs so that we can exhale it
7. What is ventilation?: includes the inflow and the outflow of air: breathing in and out
chest wall movement: if the brain tells you there is too much CO2 that we need to breath your diaphragm
will contract and the pressure in the thoracic cavity goes down so that the air can go into your lungs,
when the air comes in the pressure equalizes and that is when we breath out
work of breathing: what is respiratory rate? is the chest moving bilaterally?
,8. What is flail chest?: when you have two or more breaks in the ribs; often seen in blunt thoracic or
chest trauma with a fall, car crash, CPR; chest wall moves opposite of what it should known as a
paradoxical movement; when they take a deep breath in the person's chest sinks and when they
expire it expands
9. What is compliance?: the ability of the bronchioles or bronchiole passages to expand and contract
and to let the air in; has to do with alveoli
10. Is it more or less difficult to expand an alveoli that has collapsed versus one that stays open?:
more difficult
11. What are factors that affect compliance of the airways?: inflammation: throat swelling,
any infection that happens in lungs can cause inflammation in lung passages; more difficult for air to
go in and out infection: bronchitis, pneumonia; bronchiole passages are stiffer increased mucous
production: cold
all make it more difficult for air to move in and out
12. What is surfactant?: increases surface tension or elasticity of the alveoli; helps keep them open
so patient doesn't have to work as hard to keep opening alveoli
13. What is an example of a potential nursing diagnosis related to compliance
respiratory issues?: ineffective airway clearance; if someone has pneumonia, bronchitis, etc
14. What is diffusion?: the movement of gases from areas of higher pressure concentration to lower
pressure concentration
,15. What is an example of a potential nursing diagnosis related to diffusion respiratory issues?:
impaired gas exchange
16. What are some factors that affect diffusion: decreased surface area: alveoli that are collapsed
patient has part of lung removed
infection with mucous and fluid; alveoli membrane is thick and gas can't get through; CHF,
pulmonary edema, pneumonia
perfusion of alveoli with blood that gas exchange goes into; caused by anemia, blood clot blocking
flow, or poor pumping of the heart
17. What is the term for collapsed alveoli?: atelectasis
18. Describe the pathway of air.: air enters through mouth or nose, through throat, enters trachea,
moves from trachea to the lungs, where it goes through left and right bronchus, through the
bronchioles, to the alveoli, alveoli inflate/deflate with inhalation and exhalation
19. Explain how gas exchange occurs.: lungs exchange oxygen to the bloodstream while CO2
passes from the blood to the lungs; oxygen attaches to RBC and travels to the heart while the CO2
in the lungs is exhaled 20. How is blood transported to the cells?: oxygen combines with
hemoglobin (oxyhemoglobin) and be carried to the tissues
21. What are we measuring when we put a pulse ox on somebody?: oxyhemoglobin
22. What are factors that affect pulse ox readings?: severe anemia: gives falsely low readings;
underestimates real pulse ox
, 23. What factors affect transportation?: decreased cardiac output: amount of blood heart pumps
with each beat; caused by lack of fluid (hypovolemia) and poorly pumping heart (CHF)
decreased hemoglobin: lack of red blood cells to carry oxygen; result of some type of anemia
24. Which part of the respiratory steps will each of these factors affect? pneumonia anesthesia
fractured ribs anemia CHF
asthma: pneumonia: compliance, diffusion (blockage by mucous)
anesthesia: ventilation (have to overcome dead space)
fractured ribs: ventilation (flail chest, paradoxical chest wall
movement) anemia: transportation (not enough RBC)
CHF: transportation (poorly pumping heart), diffusion (fluid
roadblock) asthma: compliance (inflammation and constriction)
blood clot in lungs: diffusion (poor perfusion due to clot blocking flow)
25. how do we asses the respiratory system?: looking for signs of hypoxia: lack of oxygen to
tissues
hypoxemia: lack of oxygen in the blood
26. what do we see with acute or emergent hypoxia?: first thing you see is changes in the
CNS; become confused, delirious, restless, agitated, "air hunger"
increased respiratory rate, HR, and BP
