Question 1

Which of the following is not a cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

Accepted Answer

Exercise is not a cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; the other options are causes of COPD.

Question 2

Cystic fibrosis is most commonly found in which cultural group?

Accepted Answer

Cystic fibrosis is most commonly found in Caucasians, not the other cultural groups.

Question 3

Which of the following conditions may lead to anemia?

Accepted Answer

Gastritis may lead to anemia, due to blood loss. The other conditions do not typically involve blood loss.

Question 4

Which of the following signs or symptoms would a patient with severe anemia not exhibit?

Accepted Answer

The patient with severe anemia would have tachycardia, not bradycardia.

Question 5

Which of the following surgeries may be performed as treatment for thrombocytopenia?

Accepted Answer

A splenectomy may be done as treatment for thrombocytopenia, as a way of increasing the number of platelets in circulation.

Question 6

Which of the following actions should a physician assistant do first when he notices that a patient with a history of a recent myocardial infarction shows an elevated T wave on his EKG monitor strip?

Accepted Answer

The patient should be checked first, to assess whether there is any distress. The other actions may be done later.

Question 7

Which medication is used for the management of the patient with acute pulmonary edema to decrease preload and after-load, as well as minimize anxiety?

Accepted Answer

Morphine sulfate is used for the management of the patient with acute pulmonary edema to decrease preload and after-load, as well as minimize anxiety, not the other medications.

Question 8

A patient's EKG strip shows a PR interval of .28 seconds. The physician assistant should draw what conclusion?

Accepted Answer

The normal PR interval is .12-.20 seconds.

Question 9

For the patient with pulseless electrical activity due to hypovolemia, which of the following actions should the physician assistant do first?

Accepted Answer

Administering IV fluids should be done first for the patient with pulseless electrical activity due to hypovolemia. The other interventions may be done later, depending on the patient's situation.

Question 10

Which of the following is a long-term complication of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?

Accepted Answer

Infertility is a long-term complication of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The other responses are short-term complications of PID.

Question 11

An epileptic patient goes into status epilepticus. Which of the following interventions should a physician assistant do first?

Accepted Answer

The first thing a physician assistant should do is ensure the patient is in a safe position. They may need to be kept from falling and placed on a bed, for instance. Once the patient is in a safe position, the physician assistant should establish a patent airway. IV access and drug administration can then be established if necessary.

Question 12

Which of the following options is the definitive treatment for duodenal ulcers?

Accepted Answer

The majority of duodenal ulcers are due to infection with Helicobacter pylori and specific antibiotics are the cure. Options 1-3 may make symptoms better, but option 4 is the definitive treatment.

Question 13

If a patient complains of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distention, which of the following conditions is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Hypokalemia-loss of potassium from the body; shift of potassium from the extracellular fluid to the intracellular fluid; it is one of the most common electrolyte imbalances; the patient may report anorexia, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, lethargy, constipation, leg cramps, abdominal distention.

Question 14

Which of the following serum potassium levels would indicate hyperkalemia?

Accepted Answer

Hyperkalemia occurs when the serum potassium level rises above 5 mEq/Liter. The normal level is very narrow (C-5 to 5mEq/Liter).

Question 15

Which of the following diseases or conditions is least likely to be associated with increased potential for bleeding?

Accepted Answer

Pernicious anemia results from vitamin B12 deficiency due to lack of intrinsic factor; this can result from inadequate dietary intake, faulty absorption from GI tract due to lack of secretion of intrinsic factor normally produced by gastric mucosal cells, and certain disorders of the small intestine which impair absorption.

Question 16

Which of the following anemias are most often associated with pregnancy?

Accepted Answer

Folic acid and iron deficiency anemia are two of the most common anemias, prevalent in women of childbearing age with 50 percent of pregnant women having this type of anemia.

Question 17

In alcoholics with anemia:

Accepted Answer

Due to the ingestion of nonfood substances (alcohol) that leads to a clinical iron deficiency and may actually be the first sign of a problem; the patient will substitute alcohol for a nutrition program that fosters a positive health habit.

Question 18

Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium) usually affects which system?

Accepted Answer

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an aerobic bacillus that requires a great deal of oxygen to grow and flourish. It needs highly oxygenated body sites, such as lungs, growing ends of bones, and brain.

Question 19

Which of the following sexually transmitted diseases sometimes referred to as the silent STD and is more common than gonorrhea and a leading cause of PID?

Accepted Answer

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted genital infection and is manifested in males primarily as a urethritis and in females as a mucopurulent cervicitis.

Question 20

Which of the following statements best defines shock?

Accepted Answer

Shock is a life-threatening condition with a variety of underlying causes. The term, shock, is best defined as an inadequate supply of oxygen to vital organs through the systemic blood pressure.

Quiz 1: Physician Assistant

Which of the following is not a cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ?