Medical Tests CEN Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

Medical Tests CEN Online Questions & Answers

• Question 71:

  You are about to administer blood to a patient. You have verified that it is the correct blood for the patient with another nurse. What do you need to assess before you start the blood?

  A. Vital signs
  B. Skin color
  C. Hemoglobin level
  D. Creatinine level
  A. Vital signs

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  The nurse needs to assess vital signs prior to beginning a transfusion. Most transfusion reactions happen in the first 15 minutes of a reaction. It is important for the nurse to have set of baseline vital signs to determine if the patient is having a reaction.

• Question 72:

  You are caring for a patient who has been receiving a blood transfusion for the last 30 minutes. On assessment, you find the patient to be dyspneic and show bilateral crackles and a heart rate of 110. Which of the following complications do you suspect the patient is experiencing?

  A. Immune response
  B. Hypovolemia
  C. Fluid overload
  D. Polycythemia vera
  C. Fluid overload

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  The patient exhibiting these signs and symptoms is most likely going into fluid overload. Crackles in the lungs would not be associated with the other options. The physician should be notified to get a diuretic for the patient.

• Question 73:

  What is the most appropriate nursing intervention for dealing with a suicidal patient?

  A. Have confidence in the patient's ability to deal with stressors.
  B. Provide hope and reassurance that it will resolve itself.
  C. Display an attitude of detachment, confrontation and efficiency.
  D. Provide authority, action and participation.
  D. Provide authority, action and participation.

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  The nurse should provide authority, action and participation for the patient. The nurse should take over the patient and provide control and devise a plan to secure the patient's safety. The nurse should help the patient to develop coping skills to deal with problems.

• Question 74:

  What is the anticipated therapeutic effect of an escharotomy?

  A. Bleeding from the site
  B. Formation of granulation tissue
  C. Decreasing edema formation
  D. Return of distal pulses
  D. Return of distal pulses

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  The purpose of escharotomy is to relieve compartment syndrome and facilitate the return of distal pulses. Bleeding is considered to be a complication, not a therapeutic technique. Direct pressure to the site will help to decreasing bleeding.

• Question 75:

  Which of the following symptoms would require the nurses immediate attention if the patient had bipolar affective disorder?

  A. Outlandish behaviors and inappropriate dress
  B. Grandiose delusions of being a royal descendent of King Arthur
  C. Nonstop physical activity and poor nutritional intake
  D. Constant, incessant talking that includes sexual innuendoes and teasing the staff
  C. Nonstop physical activity and poor nutritional intake

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  The nurse would need to give her immediate attention to the bipolar patient with nonstop physical activity and poor nutritional intake. The patient with bipolar affective disorder has moments of mania, which are characterized by euphoria, hyperactivity, excitement and excessive energy. These patients would have a difficult time completing a single train of thought. The behavior of the patient represents a problem and needs to be addressed immediately before it escalates.

• Question 76:

  You are planning to draw an arterial blood gas from your patient, but you must perform an Allen's test first. You know that the Allen's test is used to test what?

  A. Popliteal circulation
  B. Ulnar circulation
  C. Femoral circulation
  D. Carotid circulation
  B. Ulnar circulation

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  The Allen's test is used to test the ulnar circulation prior to drawing blood from an artery. This determines whether there is adequate collateral circulation to the hand prior to drawing the blood. If damage is done to the radial artery with ulnar circulation, the hand could suffer from severe ischemic injury.

• Question 77:

  You are teaching a group of mothers how to apply permethrin (Elimite, Nix) for pediculosis capitus. Which of the following would be the correct application technique?

  A. Apply at bedtime and wash out in the morning.
  B. Apply before washing hair.
  C. Apply to hair avoiding scalp.
  D. Apply to hair for 10 minutes and then rinse.
  D. Apply to hair for 10 minutes and then rinse.

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  In order for permethrin (Elimite, Nix) to be effective it is important to following the instructions on the bottle. The hair must be washed, rinsed and towel dried. The hair and scalp should be completely saturated and allowed to sit for 10 minutes prior to rinsing.

• Question 78:

  You are caring for a child who will have a tonsillectomy. Which of the following would increase the child's risk of aspiration during surgery?

  A. Difficulty swallowing
  B. Loose teeth
  C. Bleeding
  D. Exudate in the throat
  B. Loose teeth

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  If the child has loose teeth it increases the risk of aspiration. A and D are symptoms that indicate the need for surgery. C will be taken care of during surgery with suctioning and packing. Therefore it is important that the nurse check the child for loose teeth prior to surgery to prevent aspiration.

• Question 79:

  You are preparing a teaching session on tuberculosis. What is one of the first symptoms that the group might notice in someone who has tuberculosis?

  A. Bloody, productive cough
  B. Cough with mucoid sputum
  C. Chest pain
  D. Dyspnea
  B. Cough with mucoid sputum

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  One of the first symptoms that would be notices would be cough with mucoid sputum. Late signs of tuberculosis would be bloody, productive cough, chest pain and dyspnea.

• Question 80:

  You are caring for a patient who is receiving a platelet transfusion. Which of the following would indicate a therapeutic effect of the transfusion?

  A. A decrease in temperature
  B. A decrease of blood oozing from puncture sites and gums
  C. An increase hemoglobin
  D. An increase hematocrit
  B. A decrease of blood oozing from puncture sites and gums

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  The patient receiving a platelet transfusion should begin to have a decrease in blood oozing from puncture sites and gums. Platelets are necessary for proper clotting. Granulocytes would be given to decrease fever, and red blood cells would be given to raise hemoglobin and hematocrit.