Physiological Adaptation Flashcards
7 cards from real NACE 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 chronic kidney disease has a serum potassium of 6.2 mEq/L. Which ECG change should the nurse anticipate first?
Answer: Peaked T waves
Peaked T waves are the earliest ECG manifestation of hyperkalemia, preceding widened QRS and other changes.
A patient post-thyroidectomy develops tingling around the mouth and carpopedal spasms. Which lab value should the nurse check immediately?
Answer: Serum calcium
Hypocalcemia due to inadvertent parathyroid removal causes tetany symptoms including perioral tingling and carpopedal spasms.
Which compensatory mechanism occurs in a patient with metabolic acidosis?
Answer: Kussmaul respirations to blow off CO2
Kussmaul respirations (deep, rapid breathing) are the respiratory compensation for metabolic acidosis, eliminating CO2 to raise pH.
A patient in hypovolemic shock has a BP of 80/50 mmHg and HR of 128 bpm. Which physiological response explains the tachycardia?
Answer: Baroreceptor-mediated sympathetic activation
Decreased arterial pressure reduces baroreceptor stretch, triggering sympathetic nervous system activation that increases heart rate.
A patient with SIADH has a serum sodium of 118 mEq/L. Which symptom is most concerning?
Answer: Seizures and altered consciousness
Severe hyponatremia causes cerebral edema, leading to seizures and altered consciousness, which are life-threatening neurological complications.
A patient with a pulmonary embolism has sudden onset of hypoxia despite oxygen therapy. Which physiological mechanism best explains this finding?
Answer: Ventilation-perfusion mismatch
PE causes ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch because alveoli are ventilated but perfusion is blocked by the clot, preventing gas exchange.
Which finding indicates that a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is responding to treatment?
Answer: Arterial pH rising from 7.10 to 7.32 with decreasing serum ketones
Resolution of acidosis (rising pH) and decreasing ketones indicate that insulin therapy is correcting the underlying metabolic derangement in DKA.