Respiratory Quizzes!

Medical Surgical Nursing Questions, Answers and Explanations

The following are sample questions similar to those on your semester examinations and the NCLEX NextGen. The medical surgical course focuses on signs, symptoms, body systems, disease processes, and nursing interventions.

Asthma

Top Respiratory Terms for NCLEX

Asthma: A chronic condition where the airways narrow and swell, producing extra mucus, leading to breathing difficulty and triggering coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe, primarily caused by smoking.

Chronic Bronchitis: A form of COPD characterized by a persistent cough with mucus due to inflamed bronchial tubes.

Emphysema: A COPD form where the air sacs in the lungs are damaged, leading to breathlessness.

Lung Cancer: Uncontrolled cell growth in the lungs, often due to smoking, leading to tumors that can reduce a person’s ability to breathe.

Cystic Fibrosis: A genetic disorder causing severe damage to the lungs and digestive system due to thick mucus production.

Bronchiectasis: Condition where the bronchial tubes in your lungs are permanently widened, leading to mucus build-up and infections.

Pneumonia: Infection that inflames air sacs in one or both lungs, which may fill with fluid.

Pleural Effusion: Excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs, causing difficulty breathing.

COVID-19: A respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, leading to symptoms ranging from mild to severe respiratory distress.

Tuberculosis: A serious infectious disease mainly affecting the lungs, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Influenza: A viral infection that attacks the respiratory system – nose, throat, and lungs. Commonly known as the flu.

Acute Bronchitis: Inflammation of the bronchial tubes, often developing from a cold or other respiratory infection.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): A virus that causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tract, very common in children.

Whooping Cough (Pertussis): A highly contagious bacterial infection causing uncontrollable, violent coughing.

Sarcoidosis: Growth of tiny collections of inflammatory cells in different parts of the body, primarily the lungs.

Pulmonary Fibrosis: A condition where lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred, leading to severe breathing difficulties.

Pulmonary Hypertension: High blood pressure in the arteries to the lungs, making it hard for the heart to pump blood through the lungs.

Occupational Lung Diseases: A group of diseases caused by inhaling dangerous substances at work, such as asbestos or silica.

Sleep Apnea: A sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts, leading to poor sleep quality and fatigue.

Respiratory Therapy: A healthcare discipline focusing on the assessment, treatment, management, control, diagnostic evaluation, education, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system.