Muscular Skeleton

Free preview · Original latest version

Sample questions from Muscular Skeleton

This material has 90 questions with answers and rationales. Here are the first 5.

1. 1.A 74-year-old client is 2 hours postoperative after a total hip arthroplasty. The client becomes restless and confused; oxygen saturation is 88% on room air, respiratory rate is 26/min, and blood pressure is 138/76 mm Hg. What should the nurse do first?

   • A.Reorient the client and dim the lights
   • B.Assist the client to stand at the bedside
   • C.Apply oxygen and assess respiratory status
   • D.Administer the prescribed opioid for pain

   Rationale: New confusion with hypoxemia may indicate impaired oxygenation, so applying oxygen and promptly reassessing breathing is the priority. Reorientation does not correct the low oxygen level, and an opioid could worsen respiratory depression. Standing the client is unsafe until the acute change is evaluated.

2. 2.A 68-year-old client with a tibial fracture is admitted to an orthopedic unit. The lower leg is increasingly tense, pain is severe despite prescribed analgesia, and the client reports tingling in the toes; pedal pulses are present. Which action should the nurse take first?

   • A.Document the findings and reassess in 1 hour
   • B.Notify the orthopedic provider immediately
   • C.Apply an ice pack directly over the cast
   • D.Elevate the leg well above the level of the heart

   Rationale: Increasing pain, tense swelling, and paresthesia suggest compartment syndrome, which requires immediate escalation even when pulses remain present. Elevating well above the heart may further reduce tissue perfusion, while ice does not resolve the pressure. Delayed reassessment risks irreversible tissue damage.

3. 3.A 63-year-old client with a new lower-leg cast reports increasing pain and numbness 3 hours after application. The toes are cool, and capillary refill is 4 seconds. Which actions should the nurse take? Select all that apply.

   • A.Keep the limb at approximately heart level
   • B.Reassess the affected extremity frequently
   • C.Compare and document distal neurovascular findings
   • D.Apply a heating pad over the cast
   • E.Notify the provider promptly about the change

   Rationale: Comparing and documenting distal findings establishes the degree and progression of possible neurovascular compromise, and prompt notification is needed for the new abnormal signs. Keeping the limb near heart level supports perfusion while the client is evaluated, and frequent reassessment detects deterioration. Heat can increase swelling and does not relieve cast-related pressure.

4. 4.A charge nurse on an orthopedic unit is assigning tasks after morning report. Which task is appropriate to delegate to an experienced unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

   • A.Ambulate a stable client on postoperative day 2 after the nurse has assessed the client
   • B.Evaluate whether pain medication relieved a client's fracture pain
   • C.Assess a new report of numbness in a client's casted hand
   • D.Teach a client how to use a walker on stairs

   Answer and rationale are in the full material.

5. 5.A 57-year-old client with a fractured femur is admitted to the emergency department after a motor vehicle collision. The client is pale and anxious; heart rate is 128/min, blood pressure is 88/54 mm Hg, and the injured thigh is swollen. Which action has priority?

   • A.Apply a warm blanket and reassess the blood pressure in 30 minutes
   • B.Arrange teaching about possible fixation surgery
   • C.Obtain a detailed history of the client's usual activity level
   • D.Initiate emergency response measures for suspected hemorrhagic shock

   Answer and rationale are in the full material.