Question 1

During the aging process, the hair can look grey or white and begin to feel thin and fine.The nurse knows that this occurs because of a decrease in the number of functioning:

Accepted Answer

In the aging hair matrix, the number of functioning melanocytes decreases; as a result, the hair looks grey or white and feels thin and fine.The other options are not correct.

Question 2

A 13-year-old girl is interested in obtaining information about the cause of her acne.The nurse should inform her that acne:

Accepted Answer

Approximately 90% of males and 80% of females will experience acne; causes are increased sebum production and epithelial cells that do not desquamate normally.

Question 3

While assessing a patient's skin, the nurse notes multiple skin fissures on the hands.The nurse recognizes this as:

Accepted Answer

The skin is a barrier that stops invasion of microorganisms and loss of water and electrolytes from within the body.Fissures or cracks in the skin result from extreme dryness.These fissures are openings in the skin which can allow bacteria to enter the body.

Question 4

A 62-year-old patient with heart failure comes to the clinic for his annual examination.During skin assessment, the nurse notes slight swelling to the patient's feet, and indentations which quickly fade when both feet are palpated.The nurse will chart this finding as:

Accepted Answer

Some problems, such as heart failure or kidney failure, can cause bilateral edema in the extremities.Edema is graded on a four-point scale:
1+: Mild pitting, slight indentation, no perceptible swelling of the leg
2+: Moderate pitting, indentation subsides rapidly
3+: Deep pitting, indentation remains for a short time, swelling of leg
4+: Very deep pitting, indentation lasts a long time, gross swelling and distortion of leg

Question 5

During an examination, the nurse finds that a patient has excessive dryness of the skin.When charting, the nurse describes this condition as:

Accepted Answer

Xerosis is the term used to describe skin that is excessively dry.Pruritus refers to itching, alopecia refers to hair loss, and seborrhea refers to oily skin.

Question 6

The nurse educator is preparing an education module for the nursing staff on the epidermal layer of skin.Which of these statements would be included in the module? The epidermis is:

Accepted Answer

The epidermis is thin yet tough, replaced every 4 weeks, avascular, and stratified into several zones.

Question 7

A patient comes to the clinic and states that he has noticed that his skin is redder than normal.The nurse understands that this condition results from hyperemia and knows that it can be caused by:

Accepted Answer

Erythema is an intense redness of the skin caused by excess blood (hyperemia) in the dilated superficial capillaries.

Question 8

A patient tells the nurse that he has noticed that one of his moles has started to burn and bleed.When assessing his skin, the nurse pays special attention to the danger signs for pigmented lesions and is concerned with which additional finding?

Accepted Answer

Abnormal characteristics of pigmented lesions are summarized in the mnemonic ABCD: asymmetry of pigmented lesion, border irregularity, colour variation, and diameter greater than 6 mm.

Question 9

A patient is especially worried about the white coloration of an area of skin on her feet, and she has been told it is vitiligo.The nurse explains that vitiligo is:

Accepted Answer

Vitiligo is the complete absence of melanin pigment in patchy areas of white or light skin on the face, neck, hands, feet, body folds, and around orifices-otherwise, the depigmented skin is normal.

Question 10

The nurse educator is preparing an education module for the nursing staff on the dermis layer of skin.Which of these statements would be included in the module? The dermis:

Accepted Answer

The dermis consists mostly of collagen, has resilient elastic tissue that allows the skin to stretch, and contains nerves, sensory receptors, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels.It is not replaced every 4 weeks.

Question 11

During a skin assessment, the nurse initially is concerned that the patient who is of East Asian origin has skin that is yellowish-brown.On further assessment, the nurse notes that the skin on the hard and soft palate is pink and the patient's sclerae are not yellow.From this finding, the nurse recognizes that the patient likely does not have:

Accepted Answer

Jaundice is exhibited by yellow coloration, which indicates rising levels of bilirubin in blood.Jaundice is first noticed in the junction of the hard and soft palate in the mouth and in the sclerae.

Question 12

A 75-year-old woman with a history of diabetes and peripheral vascular disease has been trying to remove a corn on the bottom of her foot with a pair of scissors.The nurse encourages her to stop trying to remove the corn with scissors because:

Accepted Answer

A personal history of diabetes and peripheral vascular disease increases a person's risk for skin lesions in the feet or ankles.The patient needs to seek professional assistance for corn removal.

Question 13

A patient of African origin is in the intensive care unit because of impending shock after an accident.The nurse expects to find what characteristics in this patient's skin?

Accepted Answer

Pallor attributable to shock, with decreased perfusion and vasoconstriction, in dark-skinned people will cause the skin to appear ashen, grey, or dull

Question 14

A 22-year-old woman comes to the clinic because of severe sunburn and states, "I was out in the sun for just a couple of minutes." The nurse begins a medication review with her, paying special attention to which class of medications?

Accepted Answer

Drugs that may increase sunlight sensitivity and give a burn response include sulphonamides, thiazide diuretics, oral hypoglycemic agents, and tetracycline.

Question 15

An older adult woman is brought to the emergency department after she was found lying on the kitchen floor for 2 days; she is extremely dehydrated.What would the nurse expect to see during the examination?

Accepted Answer

With dehydration, mucous membranes appear dry and the lips look parched and cracked.The other responses are not found in dehydration.

Question 16

A newborn infant is in the clinic for a well-baby checkup.The nurse observes the infant for the possibility of fluid loss because of which of these factors?

Accepted Answer

The newborn's skin is thin, smooth, and elastic and is relatively more permeable than that of the adult; consequently, the infant is at greater risk for fluid loss.The subcutaneous layer in the infant is inefficient, not thick, and the sebaceous glands are present but decrease in size and production.Vernix caseosa is not produced after birth.

Question 17

The nurse is bathing an 80-year-old man and notices that his skin is wrinkled, thin, lax, and dry.This finding would be related to which factor in the older adult?

Accepted Answer

An accumulation of factors place the aging person at risk for skin disease and breakdown: the thinning of the skin, a decrease in vascularity and nutrients, the loss of protective cushioning of the subcutaneous layer, a lifetime of environmental trauma to skin, the social changes of aging, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, and the chance of immobility.

Question 18

The nurse is examining a patient who tells the nurse, "I sure sweat a lot, especially on my face and feet but it doesn't have an odour." The nurse knows that this condition could be related to:

Accepted Answer

The eccrine glands are coiled tubules that directly open onto the skin surface and produce a dilute saline solution called sweat.Apocrine glands are primarily located in the axillae, anogenital area, nipples, and naval area and mix with bacterial flora to produce the characteristic musky body odour.The patient's statement is not related to disorders of the stratum corneum or the stratum germinativum.

Question 19

A woman is leaving on a trip to Hawaii and has come in for a checkup.During the health history interview, the patient informs the nurse that she takes an oral hypoglycemic medication for diabetes.The nurse provides teaching about the medication and:

Accepted Answer