Risk Assessment & Management Flashcards
7 cards from real NP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Risk Assessment & Management flashcards as text
A 55-year-old patient with a 30-pack-year smoking history currently smokes. Per USPSTF guidelines, which lung cancer screening protocol is recommended?
Answer: Annual low-dose CT (LDCT) scan for ages 50–80 with ≥20 pack-year history
The 2021 USPSTF guideline recommends annual LDCT for lung cancer screening in adults aged 50–80 with a ≥20 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years.
Which scoring system is used to stratify risk for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis?
Answer: MELD score
The MELD (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) score is the primary validated tool used to assess severity and prognosis in cirrhosis, informing SBP prophylaxis decisions and transplant prioritization.
A nurse practitioner is assessing a pediatric patient for developmental delay. At what age should a child definitively be referred for evaluation if they are not yet walking independently?
Answer: 18 months
Independent walking is an expected milestone by 12–15 months; failure to walk by 18 months is a red flag that warrants formal developmental evaluation.
A patient on long-term corticosteroid therapy presents for a risk assessment. Which complication requires BOTH baseline and ongoing monitoring with a validated tool?
Answer: Bone loss via DEXA scan
Long-term corticosteroid use causes glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP); baseline DEXA scan and periodic follow-up are recommended to monitor bone mineral density and guide bisphosphonate therapy.
A nurse practitioner is risk-stratifying a patient newly diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Which validated tool should be used to determine the need for hospitalization?
Answer: CURB-65
The CURB-65 score (Confusion, Urea, Respiratory rate, Blood pressure, age ≥65) is the most practical validated tool for outpatient NPs to quickly risk-stratify CAP and guide disposition decisions.
Which genetic risk factor assessment should be prioritized for a 35-year-old woman whose mother and maternal aunt both had breast cancer diagnosed before age 50?
Answer: Refer directly to genetic counseling for hereditary cancer evaluation
A strong family history suggesting hereditary breast cancer syndrome warrants direct referral to genetic counseling for comprehensive risk assessment and appropriate BRCA testing.
A 62-year-old male with type 2 diabetes and CKD stage 3 (eGFR 42) asks about his cardiovascular risk. Which tool provides the MOST accurate 10-year ASCVD risk estimate for this patient?
Answer: QRISK3
QRISK3 includes CKD, type 2 diabetes with eGFR/HbA1c inputs, and other comorbidities that improve accuracy in patients with complex risk profiles compared to the standard Pooled Cohort Equations.