Deck 42: Alterations of Digestive Function

Question 1

How can abdominal pain that is visceral in nature best be described?

A)Diffuse, vague, poorly localized, and dull
B)It travels from a specific organ to the spinal cord.
C)The pain lateralizes from only one side of the nervous system.
D)Associated with the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract

Answer 1

Diffuse, vague, poorly localized, and dull

Question 2

How many stools per day are considered the upper limits of normal?

A)Two
B)Three
C)Five
D)Seven

Answer 2

Three

Question 3

A patient has frank bleeding of the rectum. How does the healthcare professional document this finding?

A)Melena
B)Hematochezia
C)Occult bleeding
D)Hematemesis

Answer 3

Hematochezia

Question 4

What is the cause of functional dysphagia?

A)Intrinsic mechanical obstruction
B)Extrinsic mechanical obstruction
C)Tumor
D)Neural or muscular disorders

Question 5

Antiemetic agents, such as domperidone and metoclopramide, are antagonists for which receptors?

A)5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) serotonin
B)Histamine-2
C)Acetylcholine
D)Dopamine

Question 6

A patient has been admitted for a possible small intestinal obstruction. What is the first sign the healthcare professional assesses for that would indicate the presence of this condition?

A)Vomiting
B)Dehydration
C)Electrolyte imbalances
D)Distention

Question 7

Where in the brain is the vomiting center located?

A)Hypothalamus
B)Medulla oblongata
C)Pons
D)Midbrain

Question 8

The adult intestine processes approximately how many liters of luminal content per day?

A)3
B)6
C)9
D)12

Question 9

By what mechanism does intussusception cause an intestinal obstruction?

A)Telescoping of part of the intestine into another section of intestine
B)Twisting the intestine on its mesenteric pedicle
C)Loss of peristaltic motor activity in the intestine
D)Fibrin and scar tissue that attaches to the intestinal omentum

Question 10

A patient asks the healthcare professional to describe the cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). What response by the professional is best?

A)Excessive production of hydrochloric acid
B)Zone of low pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter
C)Presence of Helicobacter pylori in the esophagus
D)Reverse muscular peristalsis of the esophagus

Question 11

A patient reports feeling constipated. When assessing this patient, how often should the patient report bowel movements to be considered within the normal range?

A)Once a day
B)Once every 2 days
C)Once a week
D)Once every 2 weeks

Question 12

A patient has been admitted to the hospital with a possible bowel obstruction. Which assessment finding would alert the healthcare professional that the obstruction is in the small vs. large intestine?

A)Profuse vomiting of clear gastric fluids
B)Vague dull hypogastric pain without vomiting
C)Colicky pain caused by distention, followed by vomiting
D)Excruciating pain, vomiting, and fever

Question 13

A patient in the clinic reports projectile vomiting without nausea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. What action by the healthcare professional is most appropriate?

A)Provide antiemetic medications.
B)Arrange a brain scan.
C)Administer intravenous hydration.
D)Schedule a GI consultation.

Question 14

An intestinal obstruction at the pylorus or high in the small intestine causes metabolic alkalosis by causing which outcome?

A)Gain of bicarbonate from pancreatic secretions that cannot be absorbed
B)Excessive loss of hydrogen ions normally absorbed from gastric juices
C)Excessive loss of potassium, promoting atony of the intestinal wall
D)Loss of bile acid secretions that cannot be absorbed

Question 15

A peptic ulcer may occur in all of these areas except which?

A)Stomach
B)Duodenum
C)Jejunum
D)Esophagus

Question 16

A patient has been diagnosed with reflux esophagitis (GERD). What instruction by the healthcare professional is most appropriate?

A)Exercise soon after eating to increase gastric emptying.
B)Try these proton-pump inhibitors for 2 weeks.
C)You need to schedule an upper GI endoscopy soon.
D)Over-the-counter antiemetics work well for this condition.

Question 17

A person who has cholera (Vibrio cholerae) would be expected to have which type of diarrhea?

A)Osmotic
B)Secretory
C)Small volume
D)Motility

Question 18

A patient has chronic gastritis. What treatment does the healthcare professional educate the patient on?

A)Antibiotic therapy
B)Corticosteroids
C)Vitamin B12 injections
D)Pancreatic enzyme replacement

Question 19

What type of diarrhea is a result of lactase deficiency?

A)Motility
B)Osmotic
C)Secretory
D)Small-volume

Question 20

A professor has taught the students about the pathogenesis of abdominal pain. Which statement by a student indicates the professor needs to review the material?

A)Chemical mediators, such as histamine, bradykinin, and serotonin, produce abdominal pain.
B)Edema and vascular congestion produce abdominal pain by stretching.
C)Ischemia, caused by distention of bowel obstruction or mesenteric vessel thrombosis, produces abdominal pain.
D)Low concentrations of anaerobes, such as Streptococci, Lactobacilli, Staphylococci, Enterobacteria, and Bacteroides, produce abdominal pain.

Question 21

A patient has portal hypertension-induced splenomegaly. Which lab value would the healthcare professional associate with this condition?

A)Low white blood cell count
B)Low platelet count
C)High red cell count
D)High hemoglobin and hematocrit

Question 22

Which are the early (prodromal) clinical manifestations of hepatitis? (Select all that apply.)

A)Fatigue
B)Vomiting
C)Jaundice
D)Itching
E)Hyperalgia

Question 23

A student learns what information about acute pancreatitis?

A)Autoimmune process with IgG attacking pancreatic acinar cells
B)It is usually a severe disease with a high mortality rate.
C)Pancreatic enzymes autodigest pancreatic cells and tissues.
D)Oversecretion of pancreatic enzymes and malnutrition

Question 24

A professor has taught the students about the sources of increased ammonia in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. What statement by a student indicates the professor should review this material?

A)End products of intestinal protein digestion are sources of increased ammonia.
B)Digested blood leaking from ruptured varices is a source of increased ammonia.
C)Accumulation of short-chain fatty acids are a source of increased ammonia.
D)Ammonia-forming bacteria in the colon are sources of increased ammonia.

Question 25

Hepatic fat accumulation is observed in which form of cirrhosis?

A)Biliary
B)Metabolic
C)Postnecrotic
D)Alcoholic

Question 26

Which information about chronic gastritis does the student learn? (Select all that apply.)

A)Chronic gastritis tends to occur more in older adults.
B)It causes thinning and degeneration of the stomach wall.
C)Chronic gastritis results in chronic inflammation and mucosal atrophy.
D)Mucosal atrophy is a common outcome of chronic gastritis.
E)Epithelial metaplasia is often observed with chronic gastritis.

Question 27

After a partial gastrectomy or pyloroplasty, clinical manifestations that include increased pulse, hypotension, weakness, pallor, sweating, and dizziness are the results of which mechanism?

A)Excessive relaxation of gastric and vascular smooth muscles
B)Postoperative hemorrhage
C)Concentrated food bolus, causing hyperglycemia
D)Rapid gastric emptying

Question 28

The mutation of which gene is an early event associated with the pathogenetic origin of esophageal cancer?

A)KRAS
B)TP53
C)myc
D)HER2

Question 29

What information does the student learn about parietal pain? (Select all that apply.)

A)Parietal pain arises from the parietal peritoneum.
B)It is generally more localized than visceral pain.
C)Parietal pain is usually less intense than visceral pain.
D)Nerve fibers that travel to the spinal cord are involved in parietal pain.
E)Parietal pain corresponds to dermatomes T6 and L1.

Question 30

The most common clinical manifestation of portal hypertension is what type of bleeding?

A)Rectal
B)Duodenal
C)Esophageal
D)Intestinal

Question 31

A class of students has learned about contributing factors to duodenal ulcers. What statement indicates to the professor that the students need a review?

A)Bleeding from duodenal ulcers causes hematemesis or melena.
B)Gastric emptying is slowed, causing greater exposure of the mucosa to acid.
C)The characteristic pain begins 30 min to 2 hours after eating
D)Duodenal ulcers occur with greater frequency than other types of peptic ulcers.

Question 32

Which clinical manifestations are consistent with cancer of the cecum and ascending colon? (Select all that apply.)

A)Mahogany-colored blood mixed with stool
B)Anemia
C)Pain
D)Constipation
E)Palpable mass in the lower right quadrant

Question 33

A patient reports dumping syndrome after a partial gastrectomy. What does the healthcare professional teach this patient?

A)Eat small, frequent high-protein meals.
B)This will need surgical correction.
C)Take antacids 30 min before meals.
D)Drink plenty of water with your meals.

Question 34

A student asks the healthcare professional to explain the pathophysiologic process of alcoholic cirrhosis. What statement by the professional would not be consistent with complete knowledge about this process?

A)Inflammation and damage leading to cirrhosis begin in the bile canaliculi.
B)Alcohol is transformed to acetaldehyde, which promotes liver fibrosis.
C)Mitochondrial function is impaired, decreasing oxidation of fatty acids.
D)Acetaldehyde inhibits export of proteins from the liver.