NR509 Week 3 Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A blood-pressure cuff is too small for the patient’s arm. How is the reading most likely to be affected?
The systolic pressure will be accurate, but the diastolic pressure will be absent
The measured blood pressure may be falsely high
The measured blood pressure may be falsely low
Cuff size affects pulse rate but not blood pressure
2. Which entry is the best example of objective physical-assessment documentation?
The patient appears to have a serious throat infection
The patient’s breathing seems much better today
The patient has normal skin for their age
A 2-cm round erythematous area is present on the left forearm
3. A patient reports localized abdominal tenderness before palpation begins. How should the examiner proceed?
Palpate non-tender areas first and assess the tender area last
Avoid palpating every abdominal quadrant
Percuss only the tender area and end the examination
Begin with deep palpation directly over the tender area
4. Which tool is primarily used to screen distance visual acuity?
Ophthalmoscope
Penlight
Snellen chart
Ishihara plates
5. While inspecting the neck, the examiner asks the patient to swallow a sip of water. What is this maneuver commonly used to observe?
Whether the carotid arteries move symmetrically
Whether the cervical lymph nodes become more visible
The movement and symmetry of the thyroid gland
The strength of the sternocleidomastoid muscles
6. When examining an adult ear with an otoscope, how should the auricle generally be moved to straighten the canal?
Down and forward
Up and back
Straight outward without upward or downward movement
Down and back
7. A patient becomes dizzy while standing during an assessment. What should the examiner do first?
Help the patient sit or lie down and protect them from falling
Ask the patient to remain standing until the symptom passes
Immediately continue with gait testing to identify imbalance
Have the patient close their eyes and stand with feet together
8. A patient’s radial pulse feels irregular. What is the most appropriate next assessment?
Record the pulse as regular if the average rate is normal
Count the radial pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by six
Assess capillary refill instead of recounting the pulse
Auscultate the apical pulse for a full minute
9. Which sequence is appropriate for a routine abdominal examination?
Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
Auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
Palpation, percussion, inspection, auscultation
10. Which use of the stethoscope bell is most appropriate?
Listening for normal breath sounds over peripheral lung fields
Assessing high-pitched bowel sounds with firm pressure
Measuring the intensity of a peripheral pulse
Listening lightly for low-pitched sounds such as some cardiac murmurs
11. Which finding represents a commonly expected capillary-refill response in an adult with warm extremities?
Color returns within approximately two seconds after pressure is released
The nail bed becomes cyanotic after pressure is released
The nail bed remains blanched for more than five seconds
Color return can be assessed accurately through opaque nail polish
12. During the accommodation test, what normal pupillary response should occur as the patient shifts focus from a distant object to a near object?
The pupils dilate and the eyes diverge
The pupils remain unchanged while the eyes move upward
The pupils constrict and the eyes converge
One pupil constricts while the other dilates
13. Which technique generally comes first when examining a body area?
Auscultation
Palpation
Percussion
Inspection
14. During percussion, the examiner hears a dull note over an area where resonance is expected. What does dullness most commonly suggest?
Denser tissue or fluid beneath the surface
Normal healthy lung tissue
An air-filled structure beneath the surface
A vibration transmitted from the patient’s voice
15. The examiner suspects a pulse deficit. Which technique best assesses it?
Compare the right and left radial pulses several minutes apart
Compare simultaneous apical and radial pulse counts
Measure blood pressure in both arms and subtract the values
Count the carotid pulse immediately after exercise
16. On lung auscultation, the examiner hears brief, discontinuous popping sounds that do not clear with coughing. How should these sounds be documented?
Rhonchi
Crackles
Pleural friction rub
Stridor