APEA APEA Clinical Assessment Skills Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 58-year-old patient presents with sudden onset chest pain radiating to the jaw. Which initial assessment finding most strongly supports acute myocardial infarction?
- Diaphoresis and nausea (Correct answer)
- Pleuritic chest pain worse with inspiration
- Sharp pain relieved by leaning forward
- Pain reproduced by palpation
Correct answer: Diaphoresis and nausea
Diaphoresis and nausea accompanying chest pain are classic autonomic symptoms of acute MI due to sympathetic activation.
Question 2: During a fundoscopic exam, you note arteriovenous nicking. This finding is most consistent with which condition?
- Chronic hypertension (Correct answer)
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Glaucoma
- Papilledema
Correct answer: Chronic hypertension
AV nicking occurs in chronic hypertension when thickened arterial walls compress veins at crossing points.
Question 3: A patient has a positive McMurray test during knee assessment. Which structure is most likely injured?
- Meniscus (Correct answer)
- Anterior cruciate ligament
- Medial collateral ligament
- Patellar tendon
Correct answer: Meniscus
The McMurray test specifically evaluates meniscal integrity by reproducing pain or clicking with rotation and flexion of the knee.
Question 4: When assessing a patient for appendicitis, which sign involves pain at McBurney's point with rebound tenderness?
- Blumberg sign (Correct answer)
- Rovsing sign
- Psoas sign
- Obturator sign
Correct answer: Blumberg sign
Blumberg sign refers to rebound tenderness at McBurney's point, indicating peritoneal irritation consistent with appendicitis.
Question 5: Which cranial nerve is assessed when the NP tests the patient's ability to identify familiar odors?
- Cranial nerve I (Correct answer)
- Cranial nerve II
- Cranial nerve V
- Cranial nerve VII
Correct answer: Cranial nerve I
The olfactory nerve (CN I) carries sensory input for smell from the nasal epithelium to the brain.
Question 6: A 45-year-old presents with a thyroid nodule. Which physical exam characteristic most warrants urgent referral for possible malignancy?
- Hard, fixed, non-tender nodule (Correct answer)
- Soft, mobile, tender nodule
- Diffusely enlarged smooth gland
- Multiple small bilateral nodules
Correct answer: Hard, fixed, non-tender nodule
A hard, fixed, non-tender thyroid nodule raises high suspicion for malignancy due to features suggesting invasion of surrounding tissue.
APEA APEA Clinical Assessment Skills Questions and Answers 1
A 58-year-old patient presents with sudden onset chest pain radiating to the jaw.
Which initial assessment finding most strongly supports acute myocardial infarction?