FREE CMSRN Medical-Surgical Nursing MCQ Questions and Answers Flashcards
6 cards from real CMSRN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 FREE CMSRN Medical-Surgical Nursing MCQ Questions and Answers flashcards as text
A patient develops sudden onset chest pain, dyspnea, and a petechial rash on the upper body two days after a femur fracture repair. Which complication should the nurse suspect?
Answer: Fat embolism syndrome
The triad of respiratory distress, neurological changes, and petechial rash following a long bone fracture is classic for fat embolism syndrome.
A nurse is assessing a patient with suspected compartment syndrome of the lower leg. Which finding is the earliest indicator of this condition?
Answer: Pain disproportionate to the injury that worsens with passive stretching
Pain out of proportion to the injury, especially with passive stretch of the affected muscles, is the earliest and most reliable sign of compartment syndrome.
Which nursing intervention is most appropriate for a patient experiencing autonomic dysreflexia?
Answer: Immediately sit the patient upright and identify the triggering stimulus
Sitting the patient upright lowers blood pressure using gravity, and identifying the trigger (often a full bladder or bowel) is the priority intervention.
A patient with cirrhosis has an elevated ammonia level and is prescribed lactulose. Which outcome indicates the medication is effective?
Answer: The patient has two to three soft stools per day
Lactulose reduces serum ammonia by promoting its excretion through osmotic diarrhea, with a goal of two to three soft stools daily.
A nurse is caring for a patient on a heparin drip whose aPTT result is 120 seconds (therapeutic range 60-80 seconds). What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Stop the heparin infusion and notify the provider
An aPTT significantly above the therapeutic range indicates excessive anticoagulation with a high bleeding risk, requiring the infusion to be stopped and the provider notified.
A patient with a chest tube has continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber. Which action should the nurse take first?
Answer: Check all tubing connections for loose fittings or disconnections
Continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber may indicate an air leak in the system, so checking all connections from the insertion site to the drainage unit is the first step.