Alterations in Body Systems Practice Test 1
Alterations in Body Systems NCLEX Practice Test
Alterations in Body Systems, within the NCLEX test plan under Physiological Integrity → Physiological Adaptation, reflects the core knowledge domains and conceptual competencies directly related to what the exam evaluates. The targeted number of questions is 50; designed with realistic clinical scenarios and conceptual variety to help you identify both your strengths and improvement areas.
This test is the 1st part of the Alterations in Body Systems section. To explore all practice tests under this topic, use the “Back to Main Topic” button at the end of the page.
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In the Alterations in Body Systems Study Cards section, shared by real NCLEX candidates, you’ll find concise summaries and high-yield insights related to the most tested concepts. It’s a perfect space to reinforce challenging topics and sharpen your recall through quick, focused repetitions. Short, powerful, and repeatable!
Alterations in Body Systems Practice Test 1
Which of the following is not a sign of thromboembolism?
- Edema
- Swelling
- Redness
- Coolness
Explanation: Answer reason: Thromboembolism typically presents with redness, swelling, warmth, and pain due to impaired venous return and inflammation. Coolness is more characteristic of arterial occlusion rather than venous thromboembolism.
This type of urinary incontinence may be seen after childbirth?
- Stress
- Urge
- Overflow
- Functional
Explanation: Answer reason: Stress incontinence commonly occurs after childbirth due to weakening or stretching of pelvic floor muscles and urethral support, leading to urine leakage with coughing, laughing, or physical activity.
Which person is at greatest risk for developing Lyme's disease?
- Computer programmer
- Elementary teacher
- Veterinarian
- Landscaper
Explanation: Answer reason: Landscapers are at greatest risk because frequent exposure to wooded and grassy environments increases the likelihood of tick bites, which can transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, leading to Lyme disease and its systemic manifestations.
The sputum of a client remains positive for the tubercle bacillus even though the client has been taking Laniazid (isoniazid). The nurse recognizes that the client should have a negative sputum culture within?
- 2 weeks
- 6 weeks
- 8 weeks
- 12 weeks
Explanation: Answer reason: With appropriate isoniazid therapy, sputum cultures for tuberculosis typically convert to negative within about 6 weeks as the bacterial load decreases. Persistent positivity beyond this period may indicate inadequate response or non-adherence.
A client with a T6 injury 6 months ago develops facial flushing and a BP of 210/106. After elevating the head of the bed, which is the most appropriate nursing action?
- Notify the physician
- Assess the client for a distended bladder
- Apply oxygen at 3L/min
- Increase the IV fluids
Explanation: Answer reason: A client with a T6 spinal cord injury who develops severe hypertension and flushing is likely experiencing autonomic dysreflexia. The most common trigger is a distended bladder, so assessing and relieving bladder distention is the priority intervention after elevating the head of the bed.
Which of the following advanced sign and symptom of ARDS?
- Accessory muscle used
- Pallor or cyanosis
- Respiratory alkalosis
- Respiratory acidosis
Explanation: Answer reason: In advanced ARDS, severe impairment of gas exchange leads to carbon dioxide retention, causing respiratory acidosis. Early stages often show respiratory alkalosis from tachypnea, but as fatigue and lung stiffness worsen, ventilation fails and acidosis develops.
Dementia is defined as a..?
- Loss Of Memory
- Loss Of Hearing
- Loss Of Appetite
- Loss Of Vision
Explanation: Answer reason: Dementia is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function, with memory loss being one of the primary and defining features due to degenerative changes in the brain.
What are symptoms of increasing intracranial pressure (ICP) in infants?
- Vomiting and nausea
- Irritability
- Depressed fontanelle
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
Explanation: Answer reason: Irritability is an early sign of increased intracranial pressure in infants because rising pressure affects brain tissue and causes discomfort and neurological irritability before more obvious symptoms develop.
When assessing an individual with spontaneous pneumothorax, what symptoms should the nursing staff expect?
- Hematemesis
- Unilateral chest pain
- Increased chest motion
- Mediastinal shift toward the involved side
Explanation: Answer reason: Spontaneous pneumothorax causes sudden collapse of part or all of a lung, leading to sharp unilateral chest pain due to pleural irritation and loss of lung expansion on the affected side.
Kussmaul breathing is associated with?
- Atelectasis
- Bronchial asthma
- Heart failure
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
Explanation: Answer reason: Kussmaul breathing is a deep, rapid respiratory pattern seen in diabetic ketoacidosis as the body attempts to compensate for severe metabolic acidosis by blowing off excess CO₂.
A patient with diabetes mellitus type 2 is sweating, dizzy, and confused. What is the priority nursing action?
- Administer IV insulin
- Give the patient orange juice
- Check blood glucose
- Recheck vital signs
Explanation: Answer reason: Sweating, dizziness, and confusion are signs of hypoglycemia. The nurse’s priority action is to verify the patient’s blood glucose level before any intervention, ensuring accurate and safe management. Administering insulin or orange juice without confirmation could worsen the situation.
What would the nurse expect the admission assessment to reveal in a client with glomerulonephritis?
- Hypertension
- Lassitude
- Fatigue
- Vomiting and diarrhea
Explanation: Answer reason: Glomerulonephritis reduces GFR and causes sodium and water retention, leading to edema and elevated blood pressure; hypertension is a classic finding. The other options are nonspecific or atypical.
What is a life-threatening complication of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)?
- Myocardial infarction
- Respiratory muscle paralysis
- Liver failure
- Deep vein thrombosis
Explanation: Answer reason: GBS can progress to paralysis of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, leading to acute respiratory failure, which is the most life‑threatening complication.
A child with Tetralogy of Fallot visits the clinic several weeks before the planned surgery. The nurse should give priority attention to?
- Assessment of oxygenation
- Observation of developmental delays
- Prevention of infection
- Maintenance of adequate nutrition.
Explanation: Answer reason: Tetralogy of Fallot causes chronic right-to-left shunting with hypoxemia. The priority is assessing oxygenation to detect and prevent complications such as acidosis, decreased pulmonary blood flow, polycythemia, and neurologic effects—higher priority than infection, nutrition, or development at this visit.
A fifteen-year-old client has been placed in a Milwaukee brace. Which one of the following statements from the client indicates the need for additional teaching?
- I will have to wear this for only six months.
- I should inspect my skin daily.
- The brace will be worn day and night.
- I can take it off when I shower.
Explanation: Answer reason: The Milwaukee brace for scoliosis is typically worn for several years, not six months, until skeletal maturity.
The nursing care plan for a client with decreased adrenal function should include?
- Encouraging activity
- Placing the client in reverse isolation
- Limiting visitors
- Measures to prevent constipation
Explanation: Answer reason: Adrenal insufficiency requires minimizing physiological stress and exposure to pathogens; limiting visitors helps reduce stress and infection risk. Activity should be conserved, reverse isolation is unnecessary, and constipation prevention is not a priority (GI symptoms often include diarrhea).
A baby girl is born prematurely to a mother with polyhydramnios. The baby is diagnosed with esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula. What assessment finding would the nurse likely note?
- Jaundice: high bilirubin
- Seedy, yellow stool
- Projectile emesis
- Frothy saliva, drooling.
Explanation: Answer reason: The hallmark signs of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) are excessive frothy saliva, drooling, choking, and coughing, especially during feeding, due to the esophagus ending in a blind pouch.
On discharge, a patient diagnosed with acute glomerulonephritis should be taught the following topics?
- Fluid and sodium restriction.
- Daily weights and blood pressures.
- Uremic symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or anorexia.
- All of the above
Explanation: Answer reason: Patients with acute glomerulonephritis require education on sodium and fluid restriction to control edema and hypertension, daily weight and blood pressure monitoring to assess fluid status, and recognition of uremic symptoms to be reported promptly. Therefore, all listed topics should be taught.
A client with acute asthma has been admitted to the hospital. The client's pulse oximeter reading is 89%. Which of the following nursing diagnoses would be most appropriate for this client based on this assessment data?
- Anxiety related to hospitalization
- Ineffective airway clearance related to thick secretions.
- Altered health maintenance related to asthma.
- Impaired gas exchange related to bronchoconstriction and mucosal edema.
Explanation: Answer reason: An SpO2 of 89% reflects hypoxemia. In acute asthma, bronchoconstriction and mucosal edema impair ventilation and oxygenation; thus, the priority diagnosis is impaired gas exchange. The other options are not directly supported by the given assessment data.
A client is admitted with an acute adrenal crisis. During the intake assessment, the nurse can expect to find that the client has?
- Low blood pressure
- Slow, regular pulse.
- Warm, flushed skin
- Increased urination
Explanation: Answer reason: Acute adrenal (Addisonian) crisis causes a severe glucocorticoid/mineralocorticoid deficiency, leading to volume depletion and hypotension. The pulse is typically tachycardic, the skin is cool and clammy, and urine output is decreased.
An older adult client admitted with heart failure and a sodium level of 113 mEq/L is behaving aggressively toward staff and does not recognize family members. When the family expresses concern about the client's behavior, the nurse would respond most appropriately by saying?
- The client may be suffering from dementia, and the hospitalization has worsened their confusion.
- Most older adults get confused in the hospital.
- The sodium level is low, and the confusion will resolve as the level normalizes.
- The sodium level is high, and the behavior is a result of dehydration.
Explanation: Answer reason: Hyponatremia (serum sodium <120 mEq/L) leads to cerebral edema as water shifts into brain cells, resulting in confusion, irritability, and altered mental status. This neurologic dysfunction improves as sodium levels are gradually corrected to avoid osmotic demyelination. The nurse’s reassurance is evidence-based and prevents unnecessary alarm.
The nurse is caring for a client with laryngeal cancer. Which finding, ascertained in the health history, would not be common for this diagnosis?
- Foul breath
- Dysphagia
- Diarrhea
- Chronic hiccups
Explanation: Answer reason: Laryngeal cancer primarily affects the upper respiratory and digestive tracts, producing local symptoms such as hoarseness, dysphagia, and halitosis. Diarrhea is unrelated to this localized disease process, making it an atypical finding.
A client is admitted to the emergency room with partial-thickness burns on his right arm and full-thickness burns on his trunk. According to the Rule of Nines, the nurse calculates that the total body surface area (TBSA) involved is?
- 20%
- 35%
- 45%
- 60%
Explanation: Answer reason: Rule of Nines for adults: each arm = 9%; entire trunk (anterior 18% + posterior 18%) = 36%. Right arm (9%) + trunk (36%) = 45% TBSA.
A client has signs of increased intracranial pressure. Which of the following is an early indicator of deterioration in the client's condition?
- Widening pulse pressure
- Decrease in pulse rate
- Dilated, fixed pupils.
- Decrease in the level of consciousness
Explanation: Answer reason: Decreased consciousness is an early sign of cerebral hypoxia and pressure on the reticular activating system.
The nurse is caring for a client admitted with congestive heart failure. Which finding would the nurse expect if the failure were on the right side of the heart?
- Jugular vein distention
- Dry, nonproductive cough
- Orthopnea
- Crackles on chest auscultation
Explanation: Answer reason: Right-sided heart failure leads to systemic venous congestion, manifesting as jugular distention and peripheral edema.
The school nurse assessed and referred a 14-year-old with scoliosis. An 18° curvature of the spine was diagnosed. Which treatment plan would the nurse expect?
- Application of a Milwaukee brace
- Electrical stimulation on the outer side of the curve
- Re-evaluation with no treatment at this time.
- Surgical realignment of the spine
Explanation: Answer reason: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with a Cobb angle <20° is managed by observation and periodic re-evaluation. Bracing is typically for 20–40°, and surgery for >45–50°. Electrical stimulation is not standard care.
A patient admitted to the hospital with a myocardial infarction develops severe pulmonary edema. Which of the following symptoms should the nurse expect the patient to exhibit?
- Slow, deep respirations.
- Stridor.
- Bradycardia.
- Air hunger.
Explanation: Answer reason: Severe pulmonary edema causes acute hypoxemia and dyspnea with a sensation of suffocation or air hunger; tachypnea and tachycardia are typical, not slow respirations or bradycardia. Stridor reflects upper airway obstruction, not pulmonary edema.
A client with a spinal cord injury at the C6 level complains of a pounding headache, and his blood pressure is 180/120. The nurse should?
- Place the client in a supine position.
- Administer antispasmodic medication.
- Check the urinary catheter tubing for kinking.
- Assist the client to use relaxation techniques
Explanation: Answer reason: The client is experiencing autonomic dysreflexia, commonly triggered by bladder distention; the first action is to remove the stimulus such as a blocked catheter.
Which of the following is not directly related to pheochromocytoma?
- Pallor
- Perspiration
- Decreased blood pressure
- Headaches
Explanation: Answer reason: Pheochromocytoma causes excessive catecholamine release leading to hypertension, not hypotension. Pallor, sweating, and headaches are typical signs.
A client receiving vent-assisted mode of ventilation begins to experience cluster breathing after recent intracranial occipital bleeding. The nurse should?
- Count the rate to make sure that ventilations are deep enough to be sufficient.
- Notify the physician of the client's breathing pattern.
- Increase the rate of ventilation.
- Increase the tidal volume on the ventilator.
Explanation: Answer reason: Cluster breathing suggests worsening neurologic status (pons/brainstem dysfunction) after intracranial bleeding. This is an urgent change that requires prompt provider notification rather than independent ventilator setting changes.
What is the most common type of congenital atresia?
- The proximal end is blind; the distal end communicates with the trachea.
- Distal end blind; proximal end communicating with the trachea.
- The proximal and distal ends are open and communicating with the trachea.
- Both ends are blind.
Explanation: Answer reason: The most common form of tracheoesophageal atresia is Type C, in which the upper (proximal) esophagus ends blindly and the lower (distal) segment forms a fistula with the trachea. This results in regurgitation of feeds and risk of aspiration.
Identify the correct statement regarding acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)?
- Alveoli are overexpanded.
- Alveoli have lost elasticity.
- Alveoli are filled with fluid.
- The alveoli are collapsed.
Explanation: Answer reason: ARDS results from increased alveolar-capillary permeability, causing protein-rich fluid to fill alveoli and impair gas exchange, leading to severe hypoxemia.
Vaish was diagnosed with minimal change nephrotic syndrome. Which of the following signs and symptoms are characteristics of the said disorder?
- Hypertension, edema, and hematuria.
- Hypertension, edema, proteinuria.
- Gross hematuria, fever, and proteinuria.
- Poor appetite, edema, and proteinuria.
Explanation: Answer reason: Minimal change nephrotic syndrome primarily presents with massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, edema, and poor appetite, without hypertension or hematuria. It is the most common nephrotic syndrome in children.
Which of the following characteristics defines nephrotic syndrome?
- Fatty casts in urine
- Polyuria and hypotension
- Proteinuria (<3.5 g/dL) and hematuria
- RBC casts in urine with decreased BUN and creatinine
Explanation: Answer reason: Nephrotic syndrome is characterized by massive proteinuria (>3.5 g/day), hypoalbuminemia, and lipiduria, often evidenced by fatty casts or “Maltese crosses” in the urine sediment.
In a child with malnutrition, the first line of management would be?
- Prevention of hypothermia
- Prevention of hypoglycemia
- Treatment of infection
- Treatment of dehydration
Explanation: Answer reason: In severe acute malnutrition, immediate priorities are to prevent/treat hypoglycemia and hypothermia before other issues. Thus the first-line step is prevention of hypoglycemia.
The client with hemophilia A is experiencing hemarthrosis. Which intervention should the nurse recommend to the client?
- Alternate aspirin and acetaminophen to help with the pain.
- Apply cold packs for 24 to 48 hours to the affected area.
- Perform active range-of-motion exercise on the extremity.
- Put the affected extremity in the dependent position.
Explanation: Answer reason: Acute hemarthrosis is managed with RICE; cold/ice for 24–48 hours helps limit bleeding and swelling. Avoid aspirin (impairs platelets), avoid active ROM during acute bleed, and avoid dependent positioning which increases blood flow to the joint.
When planning nursing care for a 5 year old with acute post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, what should the nurse emphasize that the child and family maintain?
- A blend diet high in protein
- Bed rest for at least 4 weeks
- A daily dose of 1 M penicillin
- Isolation from children with infection
Explanation: Answer reason: In acute post‑streptococcal glomerulonephritis, high‑protein diets are avoided if azotemia is present, prolonged prescribed bed rest is not required, and routine daily penicillin is not indicated once the infection has resolved. Preventing exposure to infections during recovery is appropriate, making isolation from infected children the best emphasis.
What are the management options of a patient that de complications of tonsillitis?
- Airway protection and monitoring
- Intravenous antibiotics.
- Incision and drainage of the abscess if present.
- All of the above.
Explanation: Answer reason: Complicated tonsillitis (e.g., peritonsillar abscess) requires securing the airway, IV antibiotics for severe infection, and incision and drainage if an abscess is present—hence all of the above.
The nurse has instructed the family of a client with stroke (brain attack) who has homonymous hemianopsia about measures to help the client overcome the deficit. Which statement suggests that the family understands the measures to use when caring for the client?
- We need to discourage him from wearing eyeglasses.
- We need to place objects in his impaired field of vision.
- We need to approach him from the impaired field of vision.
- We need to remind him to turn his head to scan the lost visual field.
Explanation: Answer reason: Homonymous hemianopsia causes loss of half the visual field. Teaching the client to turn the head and scan compensates for the deficit. The other statements are incorrect: do not discourage eyeglasses, avoid approaching or placing objects in the impaired field initially.
The nurse caring for a client with myasthenias gravis recognizes which of the following as the priority nursing diagnosis?
- Risk for injury
- Acute pain
- Ineffective airway clearance
- Impaired mobility
Explanation: Answer reason: Myasthenia gravis causes bulbar and respiratory muscle weakness, making airway and breathing the highest priority; therefore ineffective airway clearance is the priority diagnosis over pain, injury risk, or mobility.
When providing care for a client with pancreatitis, the nurse would anticipate which of the following orders?
- Force fluids to 3,000mL/24 hours
- Insert a nasogastric tube and connect it to low intermittent suction
- Place the client in reverse Trendelenburg position
- Place the client in enteric isolation
Explanation: Answer reason: Acute pancreatitis care focuses on resting the pancreas: NPO and gastric decompression with an NG tube to low intermittent suction. Forcing oral fluids is contraindicated, reverse Trendelenburg offers no benefit, and enteric isolation is unnecessary.
The nurse is caring for a client post-myocardial infarction on the cardiac unit. The client is exhibiting symptoms of shock. Which clinical manifestation is the best indicator that the shock is cardiogenic rather than anaphylactic?
- BP 90/60
- Chest pain
- Anxiety
- Temp 98.6°F
Explanation: Answer reason: Cardiogenic shock results from failure of the heart to pump effectively after myocardial infarction, leading to decreased cardiac output and tissue perfusion. Chest pain reflects ongoing myocardial ischemia and is a distinguishing sign of cardiogenic, not anaphylactic, shock. Anaphylactic shock instead presents with bronchospasm, urticaria, and hypotension related to histamine release rather than cardiac pump failure.
After a fall resulting in a C6 fracture with spinal cord transection, which other findings should the nurse expect in a 36-year-old man?
- Quadriplegia with gross arm movement and diaphragmatic breathing
- Quadriplegia and loss of respiratory function
- Paraplegia with intercostal muscle loss
- Loss of bowel and bladder control
Explanation: Answer reason: At the C6 level, the diaphragm (C3–C5) remains functional, so the client can breathe diaphragmatically, though intercostals are weak. Tetraplegia occurs with some gross arm movement. Complete loss of respiratory function occurs with higher cervical injuries (above C3). Paraplegia is inconsistent with a C6 lesion, and bowel/bladder loss is nonspecific.
Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate for a client with iron deficiency anemia?
- Impaired gas exchange
- Ineffective airway clearance
- Deficient fluid volume
- Ineffective breathing pattern
Explanation: Answer reason: Iron deficiency anemia lowers hemoglobin and the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity, leading to tissue hypoxia; airway patency and breathing pattern are not primarily impaired, and fluid volume is not necessarily deficient. Thus, impaired gas exchange is the most appropriate diagnosis.
What is the primary treatment for patients diagnosed with occasional atrial premature complexes without underlying disease?
- Antiarrhythmic medications
- Lifestyle modifications
- Permanent pacemaker implantation
- Cardioversion
Explanation: Answer reason: Occasional premature atrial complexes in otherwise healthy patients are usually benign and managed with reassurance and lifestyle changes such as reducing caffeine, alcohol, and stress; antiarrhythmics, pacemaker, or cardioversion are not indicated.
What is the priority nursing diagnosis for a patient with Guillain-Barré Syndrome?
- Impaired physical mobility
- Altered nutrition: Less than body requirements
- Risk for impaired gas exchange
- Deficient knowledge regarding the disease process
Explanation: Answer reason: Guillain-Barré can rapidly progress to respiratory muscle weakness causing hypoventilation and hypoxia. By ABCs, airway/breathing take priority, making risk for impaired gas exchange the most urgent nursing diagnosis.
Which complications should the nurse include when educating a patient diagnosed with aplastic anemia?
- Infection
- Hemorrhage
- Thromboembolism
- Hypoxia
Explanation: Answer reason: Aplastic anemia causes pancytopenia with severe neutropenia, making infection the most serious and common life‑threatening complication. Thromboembolism is not typical; while bleeding and hypoxia can occur, infection is the priority complication to emphasize.
A client with advanced cirrhosis has been diagnosed with hepatic encephalopathy. The nurse expects to assess for?
- Malaise - Given
- Stomatitis
- Weight loss
- Hand tremors
Explanation: Answer reason: Hepatic encephalopathy commonly presents with asterixis (flapping hand tremor) due to elevated ammonia affecting the CNS. Malaise, stomatitis, and weight loss are nonspecific and not key indicators of encephalopathy.
What are the typical findings on assessment of a client with acute pancreatitis?
- Hypoactive bowel sounds and decreased amylase and lipase levels
- Fever, hyperglycemia, and dehydration
- Melena, persistent vomiting, and hyperactive bowel sounds
- Steatorrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss
Explanation: Answer reason: Acute pancreatitis triggers a systemic inflammatory response, often causing fever. Inflammation and stress hormone release impair insulin function, leading to hyperglycemia. Significant third-spacing of fluids and vomiting result in dehydration. Decreased amylase/lipase, melena, hyperactive bowel sounds, and steatorrhea are not typical of acute pancreatitis.
A child who sustained a head injury from a fall is being monitored for increased intracranial pressure. Which nursing action is most appropriate to reduce intracranial pressure?
- Encourage coughing and deep breathing
- Place the child in a flat position during sleep
- Elevate the head of the bed
- Allow unrestricted oral fluid intake
Explanation: Answer reason: Elevating the head of the bed promotes venous drainage from the brain and helps reduce intracranial pressure. Coughing, deep breathing, flat positioning, and unrestricted fluids can increase intracranial pressure and are inappropriate in this situation.
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