Health Assessment and Physical Examination Test Bank

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A stage 3 pressure ulcer involves full-thickness skin loss with damage and necrosis of the subcutaneous tissue, but the underlying muscle is not affected. In this case, the description of the full-thickness skin loss with involvement of the subcutaneous tissue but not the muscle corresponds to a stage 3 pressure ulcer. Stage 1 involves intact skin with non-blanchable redness, stage 2 involves partial-thickness skin loss with a shallow open ulcer, and stage 4 involves full-thickness tissue loss with the involvement of muscle, bone, or supporting structures.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: A sudden, painless unilateral vision loss may be caused by a retinal detachment. Retinal detachment occurs when the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye, pulls away from its normal position. This can lead to visual disturbances, including sudden loss of vision in one eye. Retinal detachment can be a medical emergency and requires prompt evaluation and treatment to prevent permanent vision loss. Other conditions mentioned in the choices, such as corneal ulcer, acute glaucoma, and uveitis, may also cause vision problems but are less likely to present with a sudden and painless unilateral vision loss as a primary symptom.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: A tender, painful swelling of the scrotum is a common symptom of acute epididymitis, which is the inflammation of the epididymis. The epididymis is a tube located at the back of the testicle that stores and transports sperm. In acute epididymitis, the swelling is usually accompanied by pain, tenderness, redness, and warmth in the affected area. Other symptoms may include fever, chills, and discharge from the penis. Prompt medical evaluation and treatment are necessary to prevent complications such as abscess formation or chronic epididymitis. Strangulated inguinal hernia and torsion of the spermatic cord may present with severe pain and swelling in the scrotum, but they have distinct mechanisms and require different management approaches.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: At the start of diastole, the ventricles relax and begin to fill with blood from the atria. As this relaxation phase begins, the pulmonic valve opens to allow blood to flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery and then to the lungs for oxygenation. This marks the beginning of diastole, the period of the cardiac cycle when the heart is filling with blood. The closure of the tricuspid valve, closure of the aortic valve, and production of the first heart sound (S1) occur during systole, the phase of the cardiac cycle when the heart is contracting to pump blood out to the body.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: In an elderly woman with a history of coronary bypass surgery presenting with severe, diffuse abdominal pain that is not worsened by abdominal palpation, neuropathy should be suspected. Neuropathy refers to nerve damage, which can result in abnormal sensations of pain, often described as burning, shooting, or stabbing. Abdominal neuropathy can be caused by various conditions such as diabetes, alcohol abuse, vitamin deficiencies, or certain medications. The absence of worsening pain upon palpation makes organic abdominal pathology less likely, suggesting a neuropathic etiology. In this case, further evaluation and testing for neuropathy would be warranted.