Geriatric Emergencies (Chapter 36)
Exam with Questions and Correct
Answers
During auscultation of a patient's lungs, you hear crackles. These lung sounds are caused by air passing
through:
constricted airways.
thick secretions in the airways.
fluid in the alveoli.
an inflamed airway. - ✔✔fluid in the alveoli.
Which of the following questions should you ask if you suspect a patient may have congestive heart
failure?
"How many hours of sleep do you get each night?"
"In what position do you normally sleep?"
"How many pillows do you sleep on?"
"Do you take any medication to help you sleep at night?" - ✔✔"How many pillows do you sleep on?"
You find your patient sitting upright in his bed with four pillows behind him. He is having
difficulty speaking. Which interview technique should you use when addressing the patient?
A. Speak loudly and slowly.
B. Listen carefully to the answers the patient provides.
C. Refer to the patient by his first name.
D. Have both you and your partner ask questions - ✔✔B. Listen carefully to the answers the patient
provides.
,The patient explains that he was awakened by a sudden feeling of suffocation and respiratory distress.
What are his symptoms a characteristic of?
A. Orthopnea
B. Exertional dyspnea
C. Intermittent sleep apnea
D. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea - ✔✔D. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
What assessment question should you ask to help clarify his symptoms of a sudden feeling of
suffocation and respiratory distress?
A. "How many hours of sleep do you get each night?"
B. "In what position do you normally sleep?"
C. "How many pillows do you sleep on?"
D. "Do you take any medication to help you sleep at night?" - ✔✔C. "How many pillows do you
sleep on?"
On auscultation of the patient's lungs, your partner hears crackles. These lung sounds are caused by
air passing through:
A. constricted airways.
B. thick secretions in the airways.
C. fluid in the alveoli.
D. inflamed airways - ✔✔C. fluid in the alveoli.
The pulse oximeter is unable to provide an accurate reading. What is a possible cause for this
finding? A. Poor circulation
B. Hypertension
C. Fever
D. Increased red blood cell count - ✔✔A. Poor circulation
Observing and documenting the condition in which you find the home is part of the GEMS assessment.
,A. general
B. environmental
C. medical
D. social - ✔✔B. environmental
Which condition is considered to be a risk factor for congestive heart failure?
A. Coronary artery disease
B. Emphysema
C. Dementia
D. Diabetes - ✔✔A. Coronary artery disease
The LEAST common cause of death in patients over 65 years of age is:
stroke.
diabetes.
heart attack.
drug overdose. - ✔✔drug overdose.
According to the GEMS diamond, a person's activities of daily living are evaluated during the:
SAMPLE history.
social assessment.
medical assessment.
environmental assessment. - ✔✔social assessment.
A condition that clouds the lens of the eye is called:
cataract.
nystagmus.
astigmatism.
glaucoma. - ✔✔cataract.
, You are called to a neatly kept residence for an 80-year-old woman who lives by herself. She burned her
hand on the stove and experienced a full-thickness burn. When treating this patient, it is important to
note that:
there is a high likelihood that she has been abused.
isolated full-thickness burns to the hand are not critical burns.
this patient should probably be placed in an assisted-living center.
slowing of reflexes causes a delayed pain reaction in older people. - ✔✔slowing of reflexes causes
a delayed pain reaction in older people.
The slow onset of progressive disorientation, shortened attention span, and loss of cognitive function
is called:
senility.
delirium.
dementia.
delusion. - ✔✔dementia
A 71-year-old man with a history of hypertension and vascular disease presents with tearing
abdominal pain. His blood pressure is 80/60 mm Hg, his heart rate is 120 beats/min, and his
respirations are 28 breaths/min. Your assessment reveals that his abdomen is rigid and distended.
Considering his medical history and vital signs, you should be MOST suspicious for a(n):
aortic aneurysm.
hemorrhagic stroke.
acute myocardial infarction.
infarction of the large intestine. - ✔✔aortic aneurysm.
Which of the following is a physiologic change that occurs during the process of aging?
Increased elasticity of the alveoli
A gradual decrease in blood pressure
A decline in kidney function
10% to 15% increase in brain weight - ✔✔A decline in kidney function
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