Clinical Nutritionist CCN General 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client presents with fatigue, pale conjunctiva, and a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 72 fL. Which nutrient deficiency is most likely responsible?
- Vitamin B12
- Folate
- Iron (Correct answer)
- Copper
Correct answer: Iron
Iron deficiency causes microcytic anemia characterized by low MCV, reflecting impaired hemoglobin synthesis.
Question 2: Which of the following is the primary function of carnitine in cellular metabolism?
- Activating fatty acids for beta-oxidation
- Transporting long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria (Correct answer)
- Synthesizing ketone bodies in the liver
- Catalyzing the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA
Correct answer: Transporting long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria
Carnitine shuttles long-chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane so they can undergo beta-oxidation.
Question 3: A clinical nutritionist is designing a meal plan for a patient with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. Which nutrient restriction is typically LESS stringent for dialysis patients compared to pre-dialysis patients?
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Protein (Correct answer)
- Sodium
Correct answer: Protein
Hemodialysis patients actually require higher protein intake (1.2–1.4 g/kg/day) due to dialysis-related losses, unlike pre-dialysis patients who restrict protein.
Question 4: Which vitamin acts as a coenzyme in transamination reactions and is critical for amino acid metabolism?
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) (Correct answer)
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
Correct answer: Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Pyridoxal phosphate, the active form of vitamin B6, is the essential coenzyme in all transamination reactions.
Question 5: According to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), which value represents the average daily intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of half of all healthy individuals?
- Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
- Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) (Correct answer)
- Adequate Intake (AI)
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
Correct answer: Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
The EAR meets the requirements of 50% of individuals, while the RDA is set to cover 97–98% of the population.
Question 6: A patient with phenylketonuria (PKU) must restrict which amino acid to prevent neurological damage?
- Tyrosine
- Phenylalanine (Correct answer)
- Methionine
- Tryptophan
Correct answer: Phenylalanine
PKU is caused by a deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, so dietary phenylalanine must be severely restricted to prevent toxic accumulation.
Question 7: Which assessment method uses bioelectrical impedance to estimate body composition?
- Hydrostatic weighing
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
- Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) (Correct answer)
- Skinfold caliper measurement
Correct answer: Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
BIA passes a low-level electrical current through the body and estimates fat-free mass and fat mass based on tissue resistance.
Clinical Nutritionist CCN General 2
A client presents with fatigue, pale conjunctiva, and a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 72 fL.
Which nutrient deficiency is most likely responsible?