Diagnostic Reasoning Flashcards
6 cards from real Family Nurse Practitioner Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Diagnostic Reasoning flashcards as text
A 55-year-old male presents with sudden-onset severe headache described as 'the worst headache of my life.' The FNP's PRIORITY action is:
Answer: Emergent referral to the ED for CT head and lumbar puncture if negative
A 'thunderclap' headache is a subarachnoid hemorrhage until proven otherwise and requires immediate emergency evaluation with CT head.
A female patient presents with unilateral lower abdominal pain, missed period, and vaginal spotting. The FIRST test the FNP orders is:
Answer: Urine or serum hCG (pregnancy test)
Ruling out ectopic pregnancy is the top priority; a pregnancy test is required immediately because ectopic pregnancy is life-threatening.
A 60-year-old smoker presents with a new persistent cough, hemoptysis, and unintentional weight loss. The FNP orders a chest X-ray, which shows a hilar mass. The NEXT step is:
Answer: Urgent referral to pulmonology and CT chest
A hilar mass with constitutional symptoms in a smoker has high malignancy risk and requires urgent CT chest and pulmonology referral for tissue diagnosis.
A patient with sudden painless vision loss in one eye is MOST likely experiencing which condition?
Answer: Central retinal artery occlusion
Central retinal artery occlusion causes sudden, painless, complete monocular vision loss and is an ophthalmic emergency requiring immediate intervention.
Which D-dimer result interpretation is CORRECT when using the Wells score for PE pre-test probability?
Answer: A negative D-dimer effectively rules out PE in LOW pre-test probability patients
D-dimer has high sensitivity but low specificity; a negative result rules out PE in low-probability patients, avoiding unnecessary CT-PA.
A 35-year-old presents with fatigue, pallor, and a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 70 fL. The MOST likely diagnosis is:
Answer: Iron deficiency anemia
Microcytic anemia (MCV <80 fL) with fatigue and pallor in a young adult is most commonly caused by iron deficiency.