Patho Pulse Checks 1-3

A client presents with fatigue, easy bruising, and frequent infections. Laboratory tests show leukopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia.

Which disruption in cellular regulation should the nurse identify?

A) Excess cytokines acting on the spleen

B) Blocked hormone output by kidneys

C) Failure of stem cells to produce blood

D) Central myelin sheath breakdown seen

C) Failure of stem cells to produce blood

*All three deficiencies reflect bone marrow suppression and impaired hematopoietic stem cell function.

The nurse is reviewing the chart of a client diagnosed with cancer who is experiencing significant weight loss and muscle wasting.

Which process should the nurse identify as disrupted cellular regulation affecting internal balance?

A) Boosted appetite and energy spending

B) Reduced stress hormone levels

C) Uptake of nutrients into body tissues

D) Breakdown of protein and fat reserves

D) Breakdown of protein and fat reserves

*Cachexia involves excessive catabolism due to altered cellular regulation in malignancy.

A nurse is assessing a client with severe diarrhea who has a serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L.

Which intervention should the nurse implement to apply the principles of active transport in correcting this imbalance?

A) Begin a potassium-rich oral diet plan

B) Give IV potassium chloride as ordered

C) Monitor the clients urine every shift

D) Encourage oral fluids with dextrose

B) Give IV potassium chloride as ordered

*IV potassium supports the sodium-potassium pump, helping restore normal function quickly.

A client with syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) is admitted with confusion and muscle cramps.

Which assessment finding supports the nurse's application of osmosis principles to this client's symptoms?

A) Glucose level of 150 mg per deciliter

B) Hematorit value of forty-eight percent

C) Sodium level of 122 mEq per liter

D) Urine volume of 150 mL per hour

C) Sodium level of 122 mEq per liter

*Low sodium pulls water into cells, leading to swelling and symptoms like confusion and cramps.

A client is admitted with heavy blood loss after a car accident. The body is under stress and trying to restore fluid balance.

Which hormone response shows how the body is trying to hold onto water? *Think about which hormone helps the body conserve water in response to blood loss.

A) ANP release helps remove salt and water

B) Cortisol drop helps conserve body fluid

C) Insulin release helps move sugar into cells

D) ADH release keeps water in the body

D) ADH release keeps water in the body

*ADH (antidiuretic hormone) helps the body conserve water by increasing kidney reabsorption during blood loss or dehydration.

A nurse is teaching about organelles. The student asks how mitochondria affect health.

Which inference best connects mitochondria to homeostasis?

A) They allow calcium into the cell nucleus

B) They produce ATP used by all cell parts

C) They store sodium for electrical signals

D) They create enzymes for immune cells

B) They produce ATP used by all cell parts

*ATP from mitochondria powers pumps, growth, and repair-key to balance.

A client with hypokalemia (low potassium) presents with muscle weakness and an irregular heartbeat.

Which inference best explains how a disrupted sodium-potassium pump contributes to these symptoms?

A) Oxygen exchange declines due to potassium loss

B) Glucose storage stops in the liver during stress

C) Sodium-potassium pump cannot maintain charge

D) Mitochondria lose access to potassium stores

C) Sodium-potassium pump cannot maintain charge

*Without potassium, the pump can't balance cell charge, leading to weakness and heart issues.

A diabetic client has slow wound healing and repeated foot infections.

Which analysis best links this to altered regulation?

A) Normal sugar builds better protein tissue

B) Altered sugar slows immune response

C) Normal insulin stops healing delays

D) Altered glucose boosts white cell work

B) Altered sugar slows immune response

*High glucose changes how immune cells and tissues respond to injury.

A client with vomiting and diarrhea is weak, has low blood pressure (hypotension), and a dry mouth.

Which body system will help fix the fluid loss? *Think about which receptors monitor blood pressure and send signals to save body fluid.

A) Osmoreceptors stop the thirst sensation

B) Chemoreceptors slow down heart rate

C) Thermoreceptors release aldosterone hormone

D) Baroreceptors signal brain to release ADH

A client under chronic stress has high cortisol and frequent colds.

Which analysis best compares normal and altered regulation? *Consider how long-term stress alters immune control.

A) Normal stress stops after danger ends

B) Altered stress boosts immune protein

C) Normal hormones block cell changes

D) Altered levels speed up cell healing

A) Normal stress stops after danger ends

*Normal stress response is designed to be short-term. Once a threat passes, cortisol levels fall and the body returns to balance.

A nurse is caring for a client with hypothyroidism. 

Which observation should the nurse identify as resulting from decreased metabolic cellular regulation? *Consider how lower hormone levels affect overall metabolism and the body’s ability to use energy efficiently.

A) Flushed skin with increased temperature

B) Weight loss due to increased appetite 

C) Cold sensitivity and slow reflexes 

D) Fast breathing and visible restlessness 

C) Cold sensitivity and slow reflexes 

*Hypothyroidism slows down the body's metabolism, leading to cold intolerance and sluggish reflexes due to reduced energy production.

A nurse is caring for a client with a traumatic burn injury and large areas of tissue damage. 

Which finding should the nurse identify as a result of impaired cellular homeostasis due to disrupted membrane transport? 

A) Increased urination with faster heart rate 

B) Hypotension and widespread swelling 

C) Slow heart rate with narrow pulse gap 

D) High glucose with ketones in urine 

B) Hypotension and widespread swelling 

*Burns disrupt membranes, leading to fluid loss from vessels into tissues and causing swelling. 

A marathon runner becomes dehydrated. The body is trying to hold onto salt and water. 

Which hormone helps with this process? 

A) Glucagon helps break down stored sugar

B) ANP helps remove salt and fluid

C) Aldosterone helps reabsorb salt and water

D) ADH is turned off to stop water saving

C) Aldosterone helps reabsorb salt and water

*Aldosterone helps keep sodium and water in the body during dehydration.

A client on a strong diuretic feels dizzy. Their sodium level is low at 130 mEq/L (normal is 135–145). 

Which hormone is helping the body save fluid? *Focus on the hormone that reduces urine to help restore fluid balance when it’s too low.

A) Insulin release pulls in sodium and sugar

B) ADH release helps keep water inside

C) ANP release removes water and sodium

D) TSH release increases water absorption

B) ADH release helps keep water inside

*ADH helps the body conserve water by reducing urine output, which restores fluid balance when levels drop.

A nurse explains that inflammation is part of normal healing. 

Which difference best separates healthy and chronic inflammation? 

A) Normal stops once repair is finished

B) Altered helps tissue grow stronger

C) Normal blocks all harmful signals

D) Altered controls immune cell entry

A) Normal stops once repair is finished

*Healthy inflammation has an “off switch”—chronic does not.

A biopsy shows lung cells of different sizes, shapes, and patterns in a smoker. 

Which inference best explains what is happening? *Consider how disorganized growth can signal a loss of normal cell regulation and health.

A) Normal cells grow with fixed shapes

B) Altered cells reset after each injury

C) Normal growth shifts under stress load

D) Altered growth breaks usual patterns

D) Altered growth breaks usual patterns

*Abnormal lung cell patterns in a smoker suggest altered growth that disrupts normal cellular regulation and may indicate precancerous changes.

A client with a deep cut sustained while gardening has redness, warmth, and swelling around the wound. 

Which response best explains what the body is doing at the cellular level? *Consider how histamine causes blood vessels to widen, allowing immune cells to enter and triggering redness and swelling.

A) Histamine release opens leaky vessels. 

B) Platelets contract to stop the bleed. 

C) Antibodies form clumps in circulation.

D) Killer cells destroy damaged tissues. 

A) Histamine release opens leaky vessels. 

A client feels tired and has a low fever after a flu shot.

What cellular action is causing these symptoms? 

A) Cytokines trigger fever and fatigue. 

B) T cells kill infected cells. 

C) IgA protects mucosal surfaces.

D) Mast cells release clotting chemicals. 

A) Cytokines trigger fever and fatigue

*Cytokines released during immune activation affect the brain and cause fever and fatigue. 

A client exposed to tuberculosis shows a delayed skin reaction during testing. 

Which inference explains the cause? 

A) T cells trigger a delayed response.

B) B cells make local IgA levels. 

C) NK cells attack infected tissue. 

D) Neutrophils cause early swelling. 

A) T cells trigger a delayed response.

*Delayed hypersensitivity reactions are driven by T cells after antigen recognition.