PATHO 370 EXAM SCRIPT 2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔The major cause of death from leukemic disease is:
A. Malnutrition.
b. Kidney failure.
C. Infection.
D. Hypovolemic shock. - ✔✔C. Infection.
Infection is the most common cause of death in the immunocompromised patient,
because it can become a life-threatening sepsis. Malnutrition can be a side effect of the
disease process or the treatment. Hypovolemic shock is not generally associated with
leukemic disease. There is no direct connection between kidney failure and death in
leukemia, although kidney failure may occur as a result of treatment.
✔✔When a parent asks how they will know if their 2-month-old baby, who is throwing up
and has frequent diarrhea, is dehydrated, the nurse's best response is:
A. "If the soft spot on the top of his head feels sunken in and his mouth is dry between
his cheek and his gums, then he is probably dehydrated."
B. "If he doesn't wet his diaper all afternoon and his neck veins look flat when he is lying
down, then he is probably dehydrated."
C. "If he sleeps more than usual and acts tired when he is awake, then he is probably
dehydrated."
D. "Clinical dehydration is the combination of extracellular fluid volume deficit and
hypernatremia, so those are the diagnostic criteria." - ✔✔A. If the soft spot on the top of
his head feels sunken in and his mouth is dry between his cheek and gums, then he is
probably dehydrated.
Checking whether the head feels sunken and the mouth is dry between check and
gums are useful assessments of ECV deficit in an infant, which is an important part of
clinical dehydration. It is true that clinical dehydration is the combination of extracellular
fluid volume deficit and hypernatremia, but it does not address the question Mr. Worry is
asking. Although the diaper information provides a useful assessment, neck veins are
not a reliable assessment in an infant. Drowsiness and fatigue are not reliable
assessments for dehydration.
✔✔Manifestations from sodium imbalances occur primarily as a result of:
,A. Hypovolemia.
B. Vascular collapse.
C. Hyperosmolarity.
D. Cellular fluid shifts. - ✔✔D. Cellular fluid shifts.
Sodium imbalances alter osmolality of fluid compartment leading to osmosis of water
from the hypo-osmolar compartment to the hyperosmolar compartment. In brain cells,
this leads to swelling or shrinkage of cells, and associated manifestations.
✔✔A middle-aged patient has a follow up visit for a recorded blood pressure of 162/96
mm Hg taken 3 weeks ago. The patient has no significant past medical history and
takes no medications, but smokes 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes per day, drinks alcohol
regularly, and exercises infrequently. The patient is about 40 lbs. overweight and admits
to a high-fat, high-calorie diet. At the office visit today, the patient's blood pressure is
150/92 mm Hg. What is the least appropriate intervention for this patient at this time?
A. Encourage smoking cessation.
B. Recheck blood pressure in 4 to 6 weeks.
C. Begin lifestyle modifications.
D. Begin antihypertensive drug therapy. - ✔✔D. Begin antihypertensive drug therapy.
Antihypertensive drug therapy is not the first intervention in a person with modifiable risk
factors. Therefore, lifestyle alterations are attempted first. Lifestyle alterations include
exercise, smoking cessation, and weight loss. Blood pressure should be rechecked in 4
to 6 weeks. Smoking cessation counseling is an appropriate lifestyle alteration.
✔✔Diarrhea and other lower intestinal fluid losses will contribute to:
A. Mixed acid-base disorders.
B. Metabolic acidosis.
C. Respiratory acidosis.
D. Metabolic alkalosis. - ✔✔B. Metabolic acidosis.
Diarrhea results in loss of bicarbonate and leads to metabolic acidosis. Loss of
bicarbonate (a base) would not lead to metabolic alkalosis. Respiratory conditions lead
to respiratory acid and base disturbances; diarrhea is not a respiratory condition.
,Bicarbonate loss through diarrhea would not lead to any respiratory acid/base
disturbance.
✔✔Hemophilia B is also known as Christmas disease.
T/F? - ✔✔True.
✔✔A person who experiences a panic attack and develops hyperventilation symptoms
may experience:
A. Anxiety acidosis.
B. Acute compensatory metabolic acidosis.
C. Numbness and tingling in the extremities.
D. Neuromuscular depression. - ✔✔C. Numbness and tingling in the extremities.
Numbness and tingling in the extremities occurs in alkalosis as a result of increased
neuromuscular irritability. Numbness and tingling as a result of hyperventilation result
from increased neuromuscular irritability, not neuromuscular depression. Acidosis
depresses neuromuscular irritability and thus would not cause numbness and tingling,
even in compensation.
✔✔First-degree heart block is characterized by:
A. Variable PR interval.
B. Absent P waves.
C. Prolonged PR interval.
D. Widened QRS complex. - ✔✔C. Prolonged PR interval.
First-degree block is generally identified by a prolonged PR interval (more than 0.20
second) on ECG. P waves are not absent in first-degree heart block. A widened QRS
complex is associated with a particular dysrhythmia, but not first-degree heart block. A
variable PR interval is found in type I second-degree block.
✔✔Cardiogenic shock is characterized by:
A. Reduced CO.
B. Hypovolemia.
, C. Elevated SvO2.
D. Reduced systemic vascular resistance. - ✔✔A. Reduced CO.
Cardiogenic shock occurs primarily as a result of severe dysfunction of the left or right
ventricles, or both, that results in inadequate cardiac pumping. The low cardiac output
state is associated with a high left ventricular diastolic filling pressure. Cardiogenic
shock is not manifested by hypovolemia. Sympathetic activation leads to increases in
heart rate, vasoconstriction, and a narrow pulse pressure. Low cardiac output leads to
reduced SvO2.
✔✔An increase in the RMP (hyperpolarized) is associated with:
A. Hypocalcemia.
B. Hypercalcemia.
C. Hypokalemia.
D. Hyperkalemia. - ✔✔C. Hypokalemia.
Hypokalemia increases the resting membrane potential. Hyperkalemia results in
hypopolarization. Hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia do not affect the resting membrane
potential.
✔✔The majority of cases of anaphylactic shock occur when a sensitized individual
comes in contact with:
A. Perfumes.
B. Antibiotics.
C. Animal proteins or dander.
D. Incompatible blood products. - ✔✔B. Antibiotics.
Anaphylactic shock is most frequently associated with antibiotic therapy. Contact with
perfumes is not the most frequent cause of anaphylactic shock. Incompatible blood
products do not lead to anaphylactic shock. Animal dander may lead to an anaphylactic
reaction, but does so less commonly than antibiotics.
✔✔A serious complication of deep vein thrombosis is:
A. Stroke.
B. Hypertensive crisis.
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔The major cause of death from leukemic disease is:
A. Malnutrition.
b. Kidney failure.
C. Infection.
D. Hypovolemic shock. - ✔✔C. Infection.
Infection is the most common cause of death in the immunocompromised patient,
because it can become a life-threatening sepsis. Malnutrition can be a side effect of the
disease process or the treatment. Hypovolemic shock is not generally associated with
leukemic disease. There is no direct connection between kidney failure and death in
leukemia, although kidney failure may occur as a result of treatment.
✔✔When a parent asks how they will know if their 2-month-old baby, who is throwing up
and has frequent diarrhea, is dehydrated, the nurse's best response is:
A. "If the soft spot on the top of his head feels sunken in and his mouth is dry between
his cheek and his gums, then he is probably dehydrated."
B. "If he doesn't wet his diaper all afternoon and his neck veins look flat when he is lying
down, then he is probably dehydrated."
C. "If he sleeps more than usual and acts tired when he is awake, then he is probably
dehydrated."
D. "Clinical dehydration is the combination of extracellular fluid volume deficit and
hypernatremia, so those are the diagnostic criteria." - ✔✔A. If the soft spot on the top of
his head feels sunken in and his mouth is dry between his cheek and gums, then he is
probably dehydrated.
Checking whether the head feels sunken and the mouth is dry between check and
gums are useful assessments of ECV deficit in an infant, which is an important part of
clinical dehydration. It is true that clinical dehydration is the combination of extracellular
fluid volume deficit and hypernatremia, but it does not address the question Mr. Worry is
asking. Although the diaper information provides a useful assessment, neck veins are
not a reliable assessment in an infant. Drowsiness and fatigue are not reliable
assessments for dehydration.
✔✔Manifestations from sodium imbalances occur primarily as a result of:
,A. Hypovolemia.
B. Vascular collapse.
C. Hyperosmolarity.
D. Cellular fluid shifts. - ✔✔D. Cellular fluid shifts.
Sodium imbalances alter osmolality of fluid compartment leading to osmosis of water
from the hypo-osmolar compartment to the hyperosmolar compartment. In brain cells,
this leads to swelling or shrinkage of cells, and associated manifestations.
✔✔A middle-aged patient has a follow up visit for a recorded blood pressure of 162/96
mm Hg taken 3 weeks ago. The patient has no significant past medical history and
takes no medications, but smokes 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes per day, drinks alcohol
regularly, and exercises infrequently. The patient is about 40 lbs. overweight and admits
to a high-fat, high-calorie diet. At the office visit today, the patient's blood pressure is
150/92 mm Hg. What is the least appropriate intervention for this patient at this time?
A. Encourage smoking cessation.
B. Recheck blood pressure in 4 to 6 weeks.
C. Begin lifestyle modifications.
D. Begin antihypertensive drug therapy. - ✔✔D. Begin antihypertensive drug therapy.
Antihypertensive drug therapy is not the first intervention in a person with modifiable risk
factors. Therefore, lifestyle alterations are attempted first. Lifestyle alterations include
exercise, smoking cessation, and weight loss. Blood pressure should be rechecked in 4
to 6 weeks. Smoking cessation counseling is an appropriate lifestyle alteration.
✔✔Diarrhea and other lower intestinal fluid losses will contribute to:
A. Mixed acid-base disorders.
B. Metabolic acidosis.
C. Respiratory acidosis.
D. Metabolic alkalosis. - ✔✔B. Metabolic acidosis.
Diarrhea results in loss of bicarbonate and leads to metabolic acidosis. Loss of
bicarbonate (a base) would not lead to metabolic alkalosis. Respiratory conditions lead
to respiratory acid and base disturbances; diarrhea is not a respiratory condition.
,Bicarbonate loss through diarrhea would not lead to any respiratory acid/base
disturbance.
✔✔Hemophilia B is also known as Christmas disease.
T/F? - ✔✔True.
✔✔A person who experiences a panic attack and develops hyperventilation symptoms
may experience:
A. Anxiety acidosis.
B. Acute compensatory metabolic acidosis.
C. Numbness and tingling in the extremities.
D. Neuromuscular depression. - ✔✔C. Numbness and tingling in the extremities.
Numbness and tingling in the extremities occurs in alkalosis as a result of increased
neuromuscular irritability. Numbness and tingling as a result of hyperventilation result
from increased neuromuscular irritability, not neuromuscular depression. Acidosis
depresses neuromuscular irritability and thus would not cause numbness and tingling,
even in compensation.
✔✔First-degree heart block is characterized by:
A. Variable PR interval.
B. Absent P waves.
C. Prolonged PR interval.
D. Widened QRS complex. - ✔✔C. Prolonged PR interval.
First-degree block is generally identified by a prolonged PR interval (more than 0.20
second) on ECG. P waves are not absent in first-degree heart block. A widened QRS
complex is associated with a particular dysrhythmia, but not first-degree heart block. A
variable PR interval is found in type I second-degree block.
✔✔Cardiogenic shock is characterized by:
A. Reduced CO.
B. Hypovolemia.
, C. Elevated SvO2.
D. Reduced systemic vascular resistance. - ✔✔A. Reduced CO.
Cardiogenic shock occurs primarily as a result of severe dysfunction of the left or right
ventricles, or both, that results in inadequate cardiac pumping. The low cardiac output
state is associated with a high left ventricular diastolic filling pressure. Cardiogenic
shock is not manifested by hypovolemia. Sympathetic activation leads to increases in
heart rate, vasoconstriction, and a narrow pulse pressure. Low cardiac output leads to
reduced SvO2.
✔✔An increase in the RMP (hyperpolarized) is associated with:
A. Hypocalcemia.
B. Hypercalcemia.
C. Hypokalemia.
D. Hyperkalemia. - ✔✔C. Hypokalemia.
Hypokalemia increases the resting membrane potential. Hyperkalemia results in
hypopolarization. Hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia do not affect the resting membrane
potential.
✔✔The majority of cases of anaphylactic shock occur when a sensitized individual
comes in contact with:
A. Perfumes.
B. Antibiotics.
C. Animal proteins or dander.
D. Incompatible blood products. - ✔✔B. Antibiotics.
Anaphylactic shock is most frequently associated with antibiotic therapy. Contact with
perfumes is not the most frequent cause of anaphylactic shock. Incompatible blood
products do not lead to anaphylactic shock. Animal dander may lead to an anaphylactic
reaction, but does so less commonly than antibiotics.
✔✔A serious complication of deep vein thrombosis is:
A. Stroke.
B. Hypertensive crisis.
