OCN Symptom Management and Palliative Care 2

Question 1

Mucositis is most likely to develop in patients receiving which treatment?

Accepted Answer

High-dose methotrexate or radiation to the head and neck

Answer

Mucositis is a common and painful complication of high-dose methotrexate and radiation to the head/neck region due to damage to rapidly dividing mucosal cells.

Question 2

A patient with advanced cancer reports dyspnea at rest. Which nursing intervention is most effective for immediate relief?

Accepted Answer

Position the patient upright and use a fan directed at the face

Answer

Upright positioning and a fan blowing air toward the face stimulate facial cold receptors and reduce the sensation of dyspnea.

Question 3

Which medication is first-line for treating opioid-induced nausea and vomiting?

Accepted Answer

Prochlorperazine or metoclopramide

Answer

Opioid-induced nausea involves the chemoreceptor trigger zone; dopamine antagonists such as prochlorperazine or metoclopramide are first-line agents.

Question 4

Cachexia in cancer patients is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A metabolic syndrome of weight loss, muscle wasting, and inflammation

Answer

Cancer cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome driven by inflammation and tumor factors, causing involuntary weight loss and muscle wasting that cannot be fully reversed by nutrition alone.

Question 5

Which assessment tool is validated specifically for measuring overall symptom burden in cancer patients?

Accepted Answer

Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)

Answer

The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) measures 9–10 common cancer symptoms using 0–10 scales and is validated for oncology populations.

OCN Exam Practice Test

OCN Exam Practice Test

OCN Symptom Management and Palliative Care 2