ATI RN
Physical Assessment Nursing Practice Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
Mr. Garcia comes to your office for a rash on his chest associated with a burning pain. Even a light touch causes this burning sensation to worsen. On examination, you note a rash with small blisters (vesicles) on a background of reddened skin. The rash overlies an entire rib on his right side. What type of pain is this?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The description of the rash on Mr. Garcia's chest associated with a burning pain that worsens with light touch indicates neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain arises from damage or dysfunction of the nervous system, leading to abnormal pain sensations such as burning, tingling, or shooting pain. In this case, the presence of small blisters (vesicles) on reddened skin overlying an entire rib on one side suggests involvement of nerve fibers, characteristic of neuropathic pain. It is important to differentiate neuropathic pain from other types of pain (such as nociceptive/somatic, idiopathic, or psychogenic) as management strategies differ based on the underlying mechanisms of pain perception.
Question 2 of 5
A 58-year-old man comes to your office complaining of bilateral back pain that now awakens him at night. This has been steadily increasing for the past 2 months. Which one of the following is the most reassuring in this patient with back pain?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In this patient with bilateral back pain that awakens him at night, the most reassuring finding is that the pain is bilateral. Bilateral symptoms are less likely to be associated with red flags such as malignancy or infection compared to unilateral symptoms. While back pain in individuals over the age of 50, pain at night, and pain lasting more than 1 month are concerning features, the fact that the pain in this patient is bilateral provides some reassurance. However, further evaluation is still warranted to determine the exact cause of the pain and appropriate management.
Question 3 of 5
In obtaining a history, you note that a patient uses the word "largely" repeatedly, to the point of being a distraction to your task. Which word best describes this speech pattern?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Perseveration is a speech pattern characterized by repeating a particular word, phrase, or topic excessively, even when it is no longer relevant to the conversation. In this scenario, the patient's repetitive use of the word "largely" to the point of distraction is indicative of perseveration. This can be a symptom of various neurological or psychiatric conditions, highlighting the importance of recognizing and addressing this speech pattern during the patient interview.
Question 4 of 5
A patient complains of shortness of breath for the past few days. On examination, you note late inspiratory crackles in the lower third of the chest that were not present a week ago. What is the most likely explanation for these?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The presence of late inspiratory crackles in the lower third of the chest that were not present previously is suggestive of pulmonary edema, a common finding in patients with heart failure. Heart failure can lead to fluid accumulation in the lungs, causing crackles on auscultation. These crackles are typically heard at the lung bases and can be more prominent during inspiration. Other clinical features of heart failure may include orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, lower extremity edema, and fatigue. Therefore, in this case, the most likely explanation for the patient's shortness of breath with late inspiratory crackles is heart failure.
Question 5 of 5
A young woman undergoes cranial nerve testing. On touching the soft palate, her uvula deviates to the left. Which of the following is likely?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: When the uvula deviates to one side upon touching the soft palate, it indicates a dysfunction of the vagus nerve (CN X) on the side toward which the uvula deviates. In this case, the uvula deviates to the left, suggesting a lesion affecting the left CN X. This is because the palate and uvula are innervated by the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X), and damage to this nerve may result in an asymmetric elevation or deviation of the uvula upon stimulation. Therefore, a CN X lesion on the left side is the most likely explanation for the observed deviation of the uvula in this scenario.
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