TIA Medical-Surgical Nursing 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with chronic kidney disease has a serum potassium of 6.2 mEq/L. Which ECG change does the nurse anticipate?
- Prolonged QT interval
- Peaked T waves (Correct answer)
- ST segment depression
- Widened P wave
Correct answer: Peaked T waves
Hyperkalemia characteristically produces peaked (tall, narrow) T waves on the ECG.
Question 2: A nurse is caring for a patient post-thyroidectomy. Which finding requires immediate intervention?
- Mild throat discomfort
- Positive Chvostek's sign (Correct answer)
- Serum calcium of 9.0 mg/dL
- Soft diet tolerance
Correct answer: Positive Chvostek's sign
A positive Chvostek's sign indicates hypocalcemia, a life-threatening complication after thyroidectomy due to inadvertent parathyroid removal.
Question 3: Which intervention is most important for a patient with a new diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?
- Massage the affected extremity
- Apply a heating pad to the leg
- Maintain bed rest and elevate the affected limb (Correct answer)
- Encourage ambulation immediately
Correct answer: Maintain bed rest and elevate the affected limb
Bed rest with limb elevation reduces venous pressure and minimizes risk of embolization in acute DVT.
Question 4: A patient with COPD is receiving supplemental oxygen. Which oxygen flow rate is safest to start with?
- 6 L/min via simple face mask
- 10 L/min via non-rebreather mask
- 1–2 L/min via nasal cannula (Correct answer)
- 15 L/min via bag-valve mask
Correct answer: 1–2 L/min via nasal cannula
Patients with COPD rely on hypoxic drive; high-flow oxygen can suppress respiratory drive, so low-flow 1–2 L/min is safest.
Question 5: A patient undergoes a colostomy. Which stool output description indicates the ostomy is functioning normally?
- No output for 48 hours
- Liquid green stool from a sigmoid colostomy
- Soft, formed stool from a sigmoid colostomy (Correct answer)
- Blood-tinged output on postoperative day 1
Correct answer: Soft, formed stool from a sigmoid colostomy
A sigmoid colostomy produces soft, formed stool similar to normal bowel movements because it is located in the distal colon.
Question 6: A nurse is caring for a patient in acute pancreatitis. Which position provides the most comfort?
- Supine with legs flat
- Prone position
- Semi-Fowler's with knees flexed toward chest (Correct answer)
- Left lateral with head elevated 30 degrees
Correct answer: Semi-Fowler's with knees flexed toward chest
The fetal or knee-chest position reduces tension on the inflamed pancreas and relieves abdominal pain.
TIA Medical-Surgical Nursing 1
A patient with chronic kidney disease has a serum potassium of 6.2 mEq/L.
Which ECG change does the nurse anticipate?