Medical Tests CEN Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

Medical Tests CEN Online Questions & Answers

• Question 81:

  What is a distinctive sign that a patient has flail chest?

  A. Cyanosis
  B. Hypotension
  C. Dyspnea, especially on exhalation
  D. Paradoxical chest movement
  D. Paradoxical chest movement

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  A patient with flail chest would have paradoxical chest movement. The flail chest comes from several sections of rib being broken, resulting in a floating section of ribs. This small section moves the opposite direction of the rest of the chest during inspiration and expiration.

• Question 82:

  You are caring for a patient who has a fear of leaving his house. He only comes outside when accompanied by his spouse. What do you determine the patient is experiencing?

  A. Social phobia
  B. Agoraphobia
  C. Claustrophobia
  D. Hypochondriasis
  B. Agoraphobia

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  The patient is suffering from agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces and the fear of being trapped in a situation they may not be able to escape. It also includes a sense of helplessness or embarrassment if an attack occurs. This leads to a reduction in social or professional interactions.

• Question 83:

  You are caring for a child with chlamydial conjunctivitis. What would you want to investigate if you had a patient with this diagnosis?

  A. Presence of an allergy
  B. Possible trauma
  C. Possible sexual abuse
  D. Presence of a respiratory infection
  C. Possible sexual abuse

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  The nurse would want to investigate possible sexual abuse. This diagnosis in a child who is not sexually active should trigger suspicions in the nurse. Allergy, trauma and infection can all cause conjunctivitis, but chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease.

• Question 84:

  You are caring for a patient in a crisis state. What would you want to consider when planning care for this patient?

  A. All individuals experiencing a crisis will have the same symptoms.
  B. The patient is suffering from a mental illness if they are in a crisis state.
  C. The patient is suffering from an emotional illness if they are in a crisis state.
  D. Each person reacts differently to a crisis.
  D. Each person reacts differently to a crisis.

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  Each individual response to a crisis is different. Different patients will not necessarily present with similar symptoms when they are in crisis. What constitutes a crisis for one person may not be the same for another person.

• Question 85:

  What is the most appropriate nursing intervention if your patient's heart rate drops during suctioning?

  A. Continue to suction.
  B. Limit suctioning to 15 seconds.
  C. Stop and reoxygenate the patient.
  D. Notify the physician.
  C. Stop and reoxygenate the patient.

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  If the patient's heart rate drops during suctioning, the nurse should stop and reoxygenate the patient before continuing suctioning. The nurse should monitor the patient closely during suctioning for any adverse side effects. If any side effects occur, the patient should be reoxygenated.

• Question 86:

  Which of the following patients should be assigned a pediatric nurse assigned to float to your unit?

  A. A 32-year-old with diabetes in need of teaching and medications
  B. A 56-year-old with Guillain-barre with leg weakness
  C. A 86-year-old with dementia from a skilled nursing home
  D. A 59-year-old postoperative patient following TURP procedure
  A. A 32-year-old with diabetes in need of teaching and medications

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  The pediatric nurse should be able to complete care on a 32-year-old diabetic patient. The other patients on the list all have illnesses that are mainly adult illnesses, and the pediatric nurse may not know how to complete the care on those patients.

• Question 87:

  You have been assigned to triage patients today. Which patient would get the highest priority?

  A. A patient who ate spicy pizza who is now complaining of chest pain
  B. A patient who injured their finger while cutting vegetables
  C. A patient with a headache, fever and nasal congestion
  D. A patient who complains of ankle pain when ambulating
  A. A patient who ate spicy pizza who is now complaining of chest pain

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  A patient who is complaining of chest pain should get the highest priority. Patients with trauma, chest pain, respiratory distress and cardiac arrest would get the highest priority on the list. Patients with minor injuries, cold symptoms or sprains would fall next.

• Question 88:

  You are administering a Snellen chart test to a patient. What results would you expect to get if your patient was legally blind?

  A. 20/20 vision
  B. 20/40 vision
  C. 20/60 vision
  D. 20/200 vision
  D. 20/200 vision

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  The patient would be considered legally blind if the result of the Snellen chart test is 20/200 vision. This means that the patient is able to read at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can read at 200 feet. Legal blindness is defined as 20/200 or less with corrected vision or visual acuity of less than 20 degrees of the visual field in the better eye.

• Question 89:

  Your patient has sustained a burn from cutaneous exposure to lye. The patient received one hour of irrigation at the site of the injury prior to coming to the emergency department. When you assess the site what, finding tells you that the burn continues?

  A. Eschar
  B. Liquefaction necrosis
  C. Cherry red, firm tissue
  D. Intact blisters
  B. Liquefaction necrosis

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  Liquefaction necrosis is an indication that the chemical is still burning the patient. Exposure to acids or heat causes thick, leathery eschars to form. Thermal injury can lead to cherry red, firm tissue. Partial-thickness thermal injury leads to intact blisters.

• Question 90:

  In which position would a patient with emphysema be able to enhance the effectiveness of breathing?

  A. On the side, lying in bed
  B. Sitting in a recliner
  C. Sitting up in bed
  D. Sitting on the side of the bed and leaning on an overbed table
  D. Sitting on the side of the bed and leaning on an overbed table

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  The patient with emphysema would be able to enhance their breathing by sitting on the side of the bed and leaning on an overbed table. Other effective positions for the patient would be resting the elbows on the knees and standing while leaning against a wall.