Question 1

Which part of the intestine is longer?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The small intestine is the longest part of the intestine (~6–7 meters), whereas the large intestine is ~1.5 meters and the appendix and rectum are much shorter.

Question 2

In digestion, emulsification of fats is carried out by?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Bile salts emulsify dietary fats into micelles, increasing surface area for lipase action. Lipase digests triglycerides; pepsin digests proteins; amylase digests carbohydrates.

Question 3

Which organ is responsible for storing and concentrating bile?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile produced by the liver; the duodenum only receives bile and the stomach is not involved in bile storage.

Question 4

The liver performs all of the following EXCEPT?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The liver produces bile, detoxifies substances, and helps regulate metabolism. Insulin is secreted by pancreatic beta cells, not the liver.

Question 5

The pancreatic juice contains enzymes that digest which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Pancreatic juice contains amylase for carbohydrates, trypsin/chymotrypsin and other proteases for proteins, and lipase for fats; thus it digests all three macronutrients.

Question 6

What is the main site of digestion and absorption of food?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Most chemical digestion and nearly all nutrient absorption occur in the small intestine, especially the duodenum and jejunum, due to digestive enzymes and a large absorptive surface (villi and microvilli).

Question 7

What is your most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Appendicitis is the typical most likely diagnosis for an acute surgical abdomen with right lower quadrant pain, anorexia, fever, and nausea; pancreatitis causes epigastric pain radiating to the back with elevated lipase, and colitis presents with diarrhea and diffuse cramps.

Question 8

Unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia is seen in which condition?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Gilbert syndrome causes mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia due to reduced UDP-glucuronyl transferase activity. Dubin-Johnson and Rotor are conjugated hyperbilirubinemias, and neonatal hepatitis typically causes conjugated cholestasis.

Question 9

An infant admitted with vomiting and regurgitation has an olive-shaped mass in the epigastrium; what is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: An olive-shaped, palpable epigastric mass in an infant with vomiting is classic for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

Question 10

What is the pH of saliva?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Normal saliva is near neutral, typically around pH 6.2–7.6; the closest option is 6.

Question 11

Murphy's sign is a clinical sign used to detect which condition?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Murphy's sign—pain and inspiratory arrest on deep palpation of the right upper quadrant—indicates gallbladder inflammation, classically acute cholecystitis.

Question 12

What is the normal pH of the duodenum?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Duodenal contents are neutralized by bicarbonate from pancreatic juice and Brunner glands, making the duodenal environment slightly alkaline (>7).

Question 13

Jaundice is caused by the accumulation of which substance in the blood?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Jaundice results from hyperbilirubinemia; excess bilirubin deposits in tissues causing yellow discoloration. Creatinine and urea are renal waste products, and hemoglobin does not directly cause jaundice.

Question 14

To which part of the intestine is the appendix attached?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The vermiform appendix is attached to the posteromedial wall of the cecum just below the ileocecal valve.

Question 15

Which body part is affected in typhoid?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Typhoid fever due to Salmonella Typhi primarily infects the small intestine (Peyer’s patches), leading to intestinal inflammation and ulceration.

Question 16

Which one of the following symptoms is common in the client with duodenal ulcers?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Duodenal ulcer pain is classically epigastric and occurs postprandially (2–3 hours after eating) and at night; food may initially relieve it. Vomiting and diarrhea are not typical, and blood in stools indicates a complication rather than a common symptom.

Question 17

What sign involving extension of the hip is commonly seen in patients with appendicitis?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Psoas sign is pain with passive extension of the right hip due to irritation of the psoas muscle, classically seen with retrocecal appendicitis. Obturator sign involves internal rotation of a flexed hip; Rovsing’s is RLQ pain with LLQ palpation; Murphy’s indicates cholecystitis.

Question 18

The ileum is the longest section of which organ?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The ileum is the final and longest segment of the small intestine, following the duodenum and jejunum.

Question 19

Which enzyme is responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates in the mouth?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Salivary amylase (ptyalin) begins carbohydrate digestion in the mouth; pepsin and trypsin digest proteins, and lipase digests fats.

Question 20

Yellowing of skin and eyes is a symptom of which condition?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Yellowing of the skin and sclera is the defining sign of jaundice, caused by elevated bilirubin. Hepatitis may lead to jaundice, but the symptom itself is called jaundice.

Question 21

What is the earliest and most common clinical feature of primary biliary cirrhosis?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Pruritus is the earliest and most common symptom of primary biliary cholangitis due to cholestasis and bile salt deposition in the skin; jaundice typically appears later.

Question 22

Which substance produced by the liver helps digest fats?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Bile is produced by the liver and emulsifies fats to aid their digestion and absorption. Pepsin digests proteins, lipase is primarily pancreatic, and amylase digests carbohydrates.

Question 23

Digestion is completed in which part of the digestive system?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Most chemical digestion is completed in the small intestine with pancreatic enzymes and bile; the mouth and stomach begin digestion, and the large intestine mainly absorbs water.

Question 24

What is the average length of the small intestine?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The small intestine in adults averages about 6–7 meters in length; 1.5 m corresponds to the large intestine. Thus 7 m is the best choice.

Question 25

Which of the following is a disease of the liver?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Jaundice results from impaired bilirubin metabolism and is associated with liver dysfunction; the other options involve bone, thyroid, and eye disorders.

Question 26

What enzyme helps in protein digestion in the stomach?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Pepsin is the primary gastric protease, activated from pepsinogen in the acidic stomach. Trypsin acts in the small intestine, ptyalin digests starch in saliva, and renin is a kidney enzyme.

Question 27

How many layers does the gastrointestinal (GIT) tract consist of?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The GI tract wall is composed of four layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis externa, and serosa/adventitia.

Question 28

The appendix is a part of which organ?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The appendix is a narrow, blind-ended tube attached to the cecum, which is part of the large intestine.

Question 29

Which enzyme is present in saliva?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Salivary glands secrete salivary amylase, also called ptyalin, which begins starch digestion in the mouth. Trypsin is pancreatic, lipase is mainly pancreatic/lingual, and invertase (sucrase) is intestinal.

Question 30

The physician has scheduled a Whipple procedure for a client with pancreatic cancer. The nurse recognizes that the client's cancer is located in?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: A Whipple (pancreaticoduodenectomy) is performed primarily for tumors in the head of the pancreas.

Question 31

A client is admitted with a diagnosis of duodenal ulcer. A common complaint of the client with a duodenal ulcer is?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Duodenal ulcer pain classically occurs several hours after meals and is relieved by food or antacids; patients may even gain weight from eating to relieve pain. Pain worsened by eating, weight loss, and postprandial vomiting are more typical of gastric ulcers.

Question 32

Where is vitamin K synthesized in the human body?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Vitamin K is produced by gut microbiota, primarily in the large intestine, not in the liver, lungs, or veins.

Question 33

Which organ stores excess sugar in the body?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The liver stores excess glucose as glycogen; the pancreas regulates glucose via hormones, and the heart and stomach do not serve as glucose storage organs.

Question 34

What is the average length of the large intestine?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The large intestine is about 1.5 meters (approximately 5 feet) long; longer values are typical of the small intestine.

Question 35

Which duct carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Bile produced by the liver enters the common hepatic duct and then flows into the gallbladder via the cystic duct; the common bile duct carries bile to the duodenum.

Question 36

An indication of acute appendicitis in which pressure on the left lower quadrant of the abdomen causes pain in the right lower quadrant is?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Rovsing's sign is RLQ pain elicited by LLQ palpation, a classic finding in acute appendicitis. Psoas sign indicates irritation of the iliopsoas (retrocecal appendicitis), Murphy's sign is for cholecystitis, and cutaneous hyperesthesia is nonspecific.

Question 37

A test for gallbladder disease in which the patient is asked to inhale while the examiner’s fingers are hooked under the liver border at the bottom of the rib cage is called?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Murphy's sign is an inspiratory arrest elicited by palpation under the right costal margin during inhalation, indicating cholecystitis. Rovsing's and psoas signs, and cutaneous hyperesthesia are associated with appendicitis.

Question 38

In regards to appendicitis, the location of pain in the lower, right abdominal quadrant is called?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Classic RLQ tenderness in appendicitis localizes at McBurney's point. Kernig's and Brudzinski's are meningeal signs; Schrute's point is not a medical term.

Question 39

When assessing a client during a routine checkup, the nurse reviews the history and notes that the client had aphthous stomatitis at the time of the last visit. Aphthous stomatitis is best described as?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Aphthous stomatitis refers to recurrent aphthous ulcers—canker sores—limited to the oral mucosa, not a gastric disorder.

Question 40

Where does digestion start?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Digestion begins in the mouth with mechanical breakdown by chewing and chemical digestion by salivary amylase.

Question 41

Where is the cardiac sphincter situated?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The cardiac (lower esophageal) sphincter is located at the gastroesophageal junction between the oesophagus and the stomach.

Question 42

What is the most common site of peptic ulcers in the stomach?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Gastric (peptic) ulcers occur most commonly in the antral-pyloric region along the lesser curvature of the stomach.

Question 43

Which part of the large intestine connects with the small intestine?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The ileum of the small intestine empties into the cecum through the ileocecal valve; the cecum is the first part of the large intestine.

Question 44

Which part of the human stomach connects with the oesophagus?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The esophagus empties into the stomach through the cardiac orifice; the adjacent region is the cardia. Fundus is the dome, body is central, and pylorus connects to the duodenum.

Question 45

Where is bile collected in the human body?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Bile is produced by the liver but stored/collected in the gallbladder before being released into the duodenum.

Question 46

What is a varicose vein near the anus called?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Hemorrhoids are dilated/varicose veins of the rectal venous plexus near the anus. The other options refer to gas, fecal impaction, or are irrelevant.

Question 47

The patient states, “My stomach hurts about 2 hours after I eat.” Based upon this information, the nurse suspects the patient likely has a?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Duodenal ulcer pain typically occurs 2–3 hours after meals and may be relieved by food or antacids. Gastric ulcer pain occurs shortly after eating, peptic ulcer is nonspecific, and Curling’s ulcers are stress ulcers associated with severe burns.

Question 48

The nurse is asked by the nurse aide, "Are peptic ulcers really caused by stress?" The nurse would be correct in replying with the following?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: Most peptic ulcers are linked to Helicobacter pylori infection (and NSAID use), not primarily to stress; stress ulcers are a different entity. Thus D is correct and A–C are incorrect.

Question 49

What is the cause of peptic ulcer?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The primary cause of peptic ulcer disease is Helicobacter pylori infection (along with NSAID use). Diet, genetics, and stress are not primary causes.

Question 50

What is appendicitis?

Accepted Answer

Answer reason: The suffix -itis denotes inflammation; appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix.

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