HSRT - Health Sciences Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning and Numeracy Questions and Answers

Question 1

A physician orders an antibiotic at a dose of 20 mg/kg for a child who weighs 44 lbs. The pharmacy supplies an oral suspension with a concentration of 250 mg/5 mL. How many milliliters (mL) should the nurse administer per dose?

Accepted Answer

8.0 mL

Answer

First, convert the child's weight from pounds (lbs) to kilograms (kg) by dividing by 2.2 (44 lbs / 2.2 lbs/kg = 20 kg). Next, calculate the total required dose in milligrams (mg) by multiplying the weight in kg by the prescribed dose (20 kg * 20 mg/kg = 400 mg). Finally, use the concentration of the suspension to find the volume in mL. The formula is (Dose Ordered / Dose on Hand) x Quantity = (400 mg / 250 mg) x 5 mL. This simplifies to 1.6 x 5 mL = 8.0 mL.

Question 2

A patient is ordered to receive 1 liter of 0.9% Normal Saline intravenously over 8 hours. The IV administration set has a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL. The nurse must set the manual IV flow rate in drops per minute (gtt/min). What is the correct flow rate?

Accepted Answer

31 gtt/min

Answer

The formula for IV drip rate is: (Total Volume in mL × Drop Factor in gtt/mL) / Time in minutes = Flow Rate in gtt/min. First, convert units: 1 liter = 1000 mL, and 8 hours = 480 minutes (8 × 60). Now, plug the values into the formula: (1000 mL × 15 gtt/mL) / 480 min = 15000 / 480 = 31.25 gtt/min. This is rounded to the nearest whole number, which is 31 gtt/min.

Question 3

A nurse is monitoring a patient's fluid balance over a 24-hour period. The patient's records show the following: Total Intake = 1200 mL IV fluid + 800 mL oral fluids. Total Output = 1500 mL urine + 200 mL emesis + 150 mL wound drainage. What is the patient's net fluid balance in mL?

Accepted Answer

+150 mL

Answer

To calculate the net fluid balance, subtract the total output from the total intake. First, calculate total intake: 1200 mL + 800 mL = 2000 mL. Next, calculate total output: 1500 mL + 200 mL + 150 mL = 1850 mL. Finally, find the balance: Total Intake - Total Output = 2000 mL - 1850 mL = +150 mL. A positive balance indicates the patient retained more fluid than they lost.

Question 4

In a study monitoring a population of 5,000 people, it was found that 200 individuals already had a diagnosis of Disease X at the start of the year. Over the course of the year, 50 new cases of Disease X were diagnosed. Which of the following represents the incidence rate of Disease X per 1,000 people for that year?

Accepted Answer

10.4 per 1,000

Answer

Incidence rate measures new cases within the population at risk. The population at risk is the total population minus those who already have the disease (5000 - 200 = 4800). The incidence rate is calculated as (New Cases / Population at Risk) and then multiplied by the desired population unit (e.g., 1,000). So, (50 new cases / 4800 people at risk) = 0.0104167. To express this per 1,000 people, multiply by 1,000: 0.0104167 * 1000 ≈ 10.4.

Question 5

A patient is 1.70 meters tall and weighs 85 kilograms. Using the standard Body Mass Index (BMI) formula, into which WHO weight status category does this patient fall?

Accepted Answer

Overweight

Answer

The formula for BMI is weight (kg) / [height (m)]². First, square the height: 1.70 m * 1.70 m = 2.89 m². Then, divide the weight by the squared height: 85 kg / 2.89 m² = 29.41. According to WHO classifications, a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 is categorized as overweight.

HSRT - Health Sciences Reasoning Test Practice Test

HSRT - Health Sciences Reasoning Test Practice Test

HSRT - Health Sciences Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning and Numeracy Questions and Answers