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WGU D115 ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
FOR THE ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE (APRN)
WITH 300+ QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS/ WGU D115 REAL EXAM REVIEW
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS (BRAND NEW!!)
A patient of child-bearing age reports not being recently sexually active but is complaining of lactating without breast pain or bleeding. A serum pregnancy test performed by an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) was negative. The patient is concerned about the possibility of breast cancer.Which problem should the APRN suspect? - ANSWER-Complaints of lactation with a negative blood pregnancy test is generally due to galactorrhea. Galactorrhea often results from having too much prolactin—the hormone responsible for milk production after childbirth. It can be caused by some medications, hypothyroid disease, chronic kidney disease, opioid use, spinal cord injury, or even stress.
A patient expresses concern to an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) about not being able to complete an entire meal without experiencing acid reflux.The patient also reports new symptoms including chest pain and dysphagia. The APRN suspects that the patient might have cancer.Which type of cancer is the APRN concerned about? - ANSWER-The most common symptom of esophageal cancer is a problem swallowing (dysphagia), with a feeling like the food is stuck in the throat or chest or even choking on food. Some people get a feeling of pressure or burning in the chest.
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is caring for a patient diagnosed with ovarian cancer who is receiving chemotherapy. The APRN is providing education to the patient and family regarding potential adverse effects of this medicine that would be of concern.Which problem is common for these patients? - ANSWER-Ovarian cancer treatment drugs increase the chances of deep vein thrombosis. 1 / 4
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A patient is in a hospital diagnosed with leukemia and has been receiving chemotherapy treatments. An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) assesses petechiae, ecchymoses, large purpuric spots, and bleeding from the mucous membranes.Which lab finding should the APRN expect for this patient? - ANSWER- Spontaneous bleeding without apparent trauma can occur with platelet counts between 10,000 and 15,000/mm3, resulting in petechiae, ecchymoses, larger purpuric spots, or frank bleeding from mucous membranes. These symptoms are typical in a patient with leukemia being treated with chemotherapy.
A patient presents with pain and swelling in the left knee. The pain was initially intermittent but has progressed and is now continuous and worse at night.Laboratory testing shows a significant elevation in serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels. The computed tomography (CT) scan shows that the compact bone is replaced with dense callus of masses of osteoid.Which form of cancer should an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) suspect? - ANSWER-This describes osteosarcoma. Pain in the affected bone (usually around the knee or in the upper arm) is the most common symptom of osteosarcoma. At first, the pain might not be constant and might be worse at night.The pain often increases with activity and might result in a limp if the tumor is in a leg bone.
What refers to the silenced gene of a gene pair. - ANSWER-The imprinted gene is the silent gene of a gene pair.
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is examining an adult patient for knee pain that increases when climbing stairs or running. The pain decreases with rest, application of local heat, and regular use of ibuprofen. The APRN notes tenderness and inflammation surrounding the knee, but there is no obvious knee deformity. Radiologic evaluation is unremarkable. - ANSWER-Trauma and overuse injuries can result in inflammation of the bursal sac. The pathophysiology 2 / 4
pg. 3 of bursitis is an inflammation that is reactive to overuse or excessive pressure. The inflammation may decrease with rest, heat, and aspiration of the fluid.
A patient recovering from a coronary artery bypass graft reports to an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with shortness of breath after the epicardial pacing wires are removed. Assessment findings include muffled heart sounds and a narrow pulse pressure.Which condition should the APRN suspect? - ANSWER-Cardiac tamponade is a clinical syndrome caused by the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial space, resulting in reduced ventricular filling and subsequent hemodynamic compromise.The condition is a medical emergency, the complications of which include pulmonary edema, shock, and death.
A patient is seen by an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) for chronic venous insufficiency. The patient has a leg wound that is red, warm, swollen, draining, and painful.Which treatment should the APRN provide for this patient? - ANSWER-Cellulitis is an infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue that causes redness, warmth, edema, and pain. Initial treatment is with systemic antibiotics. Bacterial cellulitis is a common complication of chronic venous disease (CVD) when dermatitis or open ulcers are present. The treatment is antibiotics.
Following a motor vehicle accident, a child presents to an emergency department with a suspected greenstick fracture of the tibia. An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) orders X-rays.Which problem will the APRN expect to observe on the X-ray of this patient's tibia? - ANSWER-A splintering of the inner bone surface with a break on one cortex of the bone- A greenstick fracture is a partial thickness fracture where only the cortex and periosteum are interrupted on one side of the bone but remain uninterrupted on the other, usually happening in long bones.
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pg. 4 An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is caring for a six-week-old infant admitted for difficulty breathing secondary to excessive upper respiratory secretions.Which mechanism of the pulmonary system affects the severity of this problem? - ANSWER-Infants up to two or three months of age are "obligatory nose breathers" and have difficulty inhaling through their mouths. This is why nasal congestion is a serious threat to young infants, especially during sleep.
A patient presents to an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with complaints of vaginal discharge and pain upon urination. Upon assessment, the APRN notes a fever of 101.4°F and uterine tenderness. Laboratory results reveal an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate.What is the probable diagnosis? - ANSWER-Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an acute inflammatory process caused by infection and may involve any or all organs in the upper genital tract, including the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries, and in its most severe form, the entire peritoneal cavity. Patients may present with lower abdominal pain, dysuria, dyspareunia, and irregular bleeding.
An adolescent patient reports to an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) with a five-day history of fever, malaise, pharyngitis, generalized aches, swollen lymph nodes, and an enlarged spleen. The lab results indicate a positive monospot test.Which infection should the APRN consider? - ANSWER-The Epstein-Barr virus accounts for 85% of all cases of mononucleosis and would be the reason for a positive monospot test.
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) in a newborn nursery is assessing an infant with Down syndrome for a common congenital heart defect.Which condition should this APRN be concerned about? - ANSWER-Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a common cardiac anomaly found in Down syndrome. In a patient with VSD, blood can travel across the hole from the left pumping chamber
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