nclex physical and health assessment questions

Questions 46

ATI RN

ATI RN Test Bank

nclex physical and health assessment questions Questions

Question 1 of 5

A 70-year-old patient reports to the nurse that he is having trouble hearing, especially when he is in large groups. He says he"can't always tell where the sound is coming from" and the words often sound"mixed up." What might the nurse suspect as the cause for this?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Degeneration of nerves in the inner ear. This is likely the cause of the patient's hearing difficulties, as age-related degeneration of nerves in the inner ear can lead to difficulty distinguishing sounds and determining their direction. Atrophy of the apocrine glands (Choice A) and cilia becoming coarse and stiff (Choice B) are not related to hearing loss. Scarring of the tympanic membrane (Choice D) would affect sound conduction but not the perception of sound direction and clarity.

Question 2 of 5

The nurse is testing the hearing of a 78-year-old man. Which of the following age-related hearing changes should the nurse keep in mind? (Select all that apply.)

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Age-related hearing loss begins in the mid-40s. This is because presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, typically starts around the mid-40s due to natural aging processes affecting the inner ear. Choice B is incorrect as the progression of hearing loss can vary, being gradual for some individuals but not necessarily slow for everyone. Choice C is incorrect as high-frequency tone loss, not low-frequency, is commonly associated with aging. Choice D is incorrect as difficulty hearing consonants is more related to specific types of hearing loss, not solely age-related changes.

Question 3 of 5

During an assessment of an 80-year-old patient, the nurse would expect to find:

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: decreased ability to identify odors. As people age, their sense of smell tends to decline due to changes in the olfactory system. This is a common phenomenon in older adults and can impact their overall quality of life. The other choices are incorrect because hypertrophy of the gums (A) is not a typical finding in older adults, increased production of saliva (B) is not directly related to aging, and finer and less prominent nasal hair (D) is not a definitive characteristic of older age.

Question 4 of 5

The portion of the ear that consists of movable cartilage and skin is called the:

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: auricle. The auricle is the visible, outer portion of the ear made up of movable cartilage and skin. It serves to collect sound waves and direct them into the ear canal. The other choices are incorrect because the concha (B) is the concave cavity leading to the ear canal, the outer meatus (C) is the ear canal itself, and the mastoid process (D) is a bony protrusion behind the ear that has no role in sound collection.

Question 5 of 5

A patient comes into the clinic complaining of facial pain, fever, and malaise. On examination, the nurse notes swollen turbinates and a purulent discharge from the nose. The patient also complains of a dull, throbbing pain in his cheeks and teeth on the right side and pain when the nurse palpates the areas. The nurse recognizes that this patient has:

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Rationale: The patient's symptoms of facial pain, fever, malaise, swollen turbinates, purulent nasal discharge, pain in cheeks and teeth, and pain upon palpation all point towards maxillary sinusitis. The maxillary sinuses are located in the cheek area, and infection can lead to the described symptoms. Frontal sinusitis typically presents with forehead pain, and nasal polyps would not cause the specific symptoms mentioned. Posterior epistaxis involves bleeding from the back of the nose and is not consistent with the patient's symptoms. Therefore, the correct answer is C: maxillary sinusitis.

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