Physiological Adaptation Flashcards
7 cards from real LPN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Physiological Adaptation flashcards as text
A patient with end-stage renal disease develops pericarditis. Which symptom is characteristic of uremic pericarditis?
Answer: Friction rub heard on auscultation
A pericardial friction rub is the hallmark auscultatory finding of pericarditis; uremic pericarditis occurs when urea irritates the pericardial sac.
A patient recovering from abdominal surgery reports sudden severe abdominal pain and the LPN assesses a rigid, board-like abdomen. These findings suggest:
Answer: Peritonitis
A rigid board-like abdomen with severe pain indicates peritonitis, an inflammatory or infectious process involving the peritoneum, requiring immediate intervention.
A patient with heart failure is prescribed digoxin. Which assessment finding should prompt the LPN to withhold the dose and notify the provider?
Answer: Apical heart rate of 52 bpm
Digoxin is held when the apical pulse is below 60 bpm in adults because digoxin slows conduction and can worsen bradycardia to dangerous levels.
A patient with a T4 spinal cord injury is being repositioned. The LPN notes erythema over the sacrum that does not blanch. This indicates:
Answer: Stage 1 pressure injury
Non-blanchable erythema over a bony prominence in intact skin is the defining characteristic of a Stage 1 pressure injury.
A patient with sepsis has the following: temperature 38.8°C, HR 108, RR 22, WBC 14,000/mm³, and lactate 3.2 mmol/L. The elevated lactate indicates:
Answer: Tissue hypoperfusion and anaerobic metabolism
Elevated lactate (>2 mmol/L) in sepsis reflects inadequate oxygen delivery to tissues, forcing anaerobic metabolism and lactic acid production.
A patient with chronic heart failure develops acute pulmonary edema. Which position best reduces preload and improves oxygenation?
Answer: High Fowler's position (90 degrees) with legs dependent
High Fowler's with legs down uses gravity to pool blood in dependent extremities, reducing venous return (preload) to the failing heart and relieving pulmonary congestion.
A patient with hypothyroidism develops myxedema coma. Which clinical manifestations are expected?
Answer: Hypothermia, bradycardia, and decreased level of consciousness
Myxedema coma is a life-threatening exacerbation of hypothyroidism characterized by extreme metabolic slowing: profound hypothermia, bradycardia, and coma.