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Bates Test questions The Thorax and Lungs
Health Assessment (NRSG 5115)
Northeastern University
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Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, 12th Edition
Chapter 8: The Thorax and Lungs
Multiple Choice
- A 21-year-old college senior presents to your clinic, complaining of shortness of breath and a nonproductive nocturnal cough. She states she used to feel this way only with extreme exercise, but lately she has felt this way continuously. She denies any other upper respiratory symptoms, chest pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, or urinary tract symptoms. Her past medical history is significant only for seasonal allergies, for which she takes a nasal steroid spray but is otherwise on no other medications. She has had no surgeries. Her mother has allergies and eczema and her father has high blood pressure. She is an only child. She denies smoking and illegal drug use but drinks three to four alcoholic beverages per weekend. She is a junior in finance at a local university and she has recently started a job as a bartender in town. On examination she is in no acute distress and her temperature is 98. Her blood pressure is 120/80, her pulse is 80, and her respirations are 20. Her head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat examinations are essentially normal. Inspection of her anterior and posterior chest shows no abnormalities. On auscultation of her chest, there is decreased air movement and a high-pitched whistling on expiration in all lobes. Percussion reveals resonant lungs. Which disorder of the thorax or lung does this best describe? A) Spontaneous pneumothorax B) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) C) Asthma D) Pneumonia
Ans: C Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 296, Techniques of Examination Feedback: Asthma causes shortness of breath and a nocturnal cough. It is often associated with a history of allergies and can be made worse by exercise or irritants such as smoke in a bar. On auscultation there can be normal to decreased air movement. Wheezing is heard on expiration and sometimes inspiration. The duration of wheezing in expiration usually correlates with severity of illness, so it is important to document this length (e., wheezes heard halfway through exhalation). Realize that in severe asthma, wheezes may not be heard because of the lack of air movement. Paradoxically, these patients may have more wheezes after treatment, which actually indicates an improvement in condition. Peak flow measurements help to discern
this.
- A 47-year-old receptionist comes to your office, complaining of fever, shortness of breath, and a productive cough with golden sputum. She says she had a cold last week and her symptoms have only gotten worse, despite using over-the-counter cold remedies. She denies any weight gain, weight loss, or cardiac or gastrointestinal symptoms. Her past medical history includes type 2 diabetes for 5 years and high cholesterol. She takes an oral medication for both diseases. She has had no surgeries. She denies tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her mother has diabetes and high blood pressure. Her father passed away from colon cancer. On examination you see a middle- aged woman appearing her stated age. She looks ill and her temperature is elevated, at 101. Her blood pressure and pulse are unremarkable. Her head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat examinations are unremarkable except for edema of the nasal turbinates. On auscultation she has decreased air movement, and coarse crackles are heard over the left lower lobe. There is dullness on percussion, increased fremitus during palpation, and egophony and whispered pectoriloquy on auscultation. What disorder of the thorax or lung best describes her symptoms? A) Spontaneous pneumothorax B) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) C) Asthma D) Pneumonia
Ans: D Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 318, Table 8– Feedback: Pneumonia is usually associated with dyspnea, cough, and fever. On auscultation there can be coarse or fine crackles heard over the affected lobe. Percussion over the affected area is dull and there is often an increase in fremitus. Egophony and pectoriloquy are heard because of increased transmission of high-pitched components of sounds. These higher frequencies are usually filtered out by the multiple air-filled chambers of the alveoli.
- A 17-year-old high school senior presents to your clinic in acute respiratory distress. Between shallow breaths he states he was at home finishing his homework when he suddenly began having right-sided chest pain and severe shortness of breath. He denies any recent traumas or illnesses. His past medical history is unremarkable. He doesn't smoke but drinks several beers on the weekend. He has tried marijuana several times but denies any other illegal drugs. He is an honors student and is on the basketball team. His parents are both in good health. He denies any recent weight gain, weight loss, fever, or night sweats. On examination you see a tall, thin young man in obvious distress. He is diaphoretic and is breathing at a rate of 35 breaths per minute. On
smoking history. The diameter of the chest is often enlarged like a barrel. Percussing the chest elicits hyperresonance, and during auscultation there are often distant breath sounds. Coarse breath sounds of rhonchi are also often heard. It is important to quantify this patient's exercise capacity because it may affect his employment and also allows you to follow for progression of his disease. You must offer smoking cessation as an option.
- A 36-year-old teacher presents to your clinic, complaining of sharp, knifelike pain on the left side of her chest for the last 2 days. Breathing and lying down make the pain worse, while sitting forward helps her pain. Tylenol and ibuprofen have not helped. Her pain does not radiate to any other area. She denies any upper respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms. Her past medical history consists of systemic lupus. She is divorced and has one child. She denies any tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her mother has hypothyroidism and her father has high blood pressure. On examination you find her to be distressed, leaning over and holding her left arm and hand to her left chest. Her blood pressure is 130/70, her respirations are 12, and her pulse is 90. On auscultation her lung fields have normal breath sounds with no rhonchi, wheezes, or crackles. Percussion and palpation are unremarkable. Auscultation of the heart has an S 1 and S 2 with no
S 3 or S 4. A scratching noise is heard at the lower left sternal border, coincident with systole;
leaning forward relieves some of her pain. She is nontender with palpation of the chest wall. What disorder of the chest best describes this disorder? A) Angina pectoris B) Pericarditis C) Dissecting aortic aneurysm D) Pleural pain
Ans: B Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 312, Table 8– Feedback: The pain from pericarditis is usually sharp and knifelike and is located over the left side of the chest. Change of position, breathing, and coughing often make the pain worse, whereas leaning forward improves the pain. Pericarditis is often seen in rheumatologic diseases such as systemic lupus and in patients with chronic kidney disease. Patients also experience this after a myocardial infarction. You can read more about Dressler's syndrome.
- A 68-year-old retired postman presents to your clinic, complaining of dull, intermittent left- sided chest pain over the last few weeks. The pain occurs after he mows his lawn or chops wood. He says that the pain radiates to the left side of his jaw but nowhere else. He has felt light-headed and nauseated with the pain but has had no other symptoms. He states when he sits down for
several minutes the pain goes away. Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and antacids have not improved his symptoms. He reports no recent weight gain, weight loss, fever, or night sweats. He has a past medical history of high blood pressure and arthritis. He quit smoking 10 years ago after smoking one pack a day for 40 years. He denies any recent alcohol use and reports no drug use. He is married and has two healthy children. His mother died of breast cancer and his father died of a stroke. His younger brother has had bypass surgery. On examination you find him healthy- appearing and breathing comfortably. His blood pressure is 140/90 and he has a pulse of 80. His head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat examinations are unremarkable. His lungs have normal breath sounds and there are no abnormalities with percussion and palpation of the chest. His heart has a normal S 1 and S 2 and no S 3 or S 4. Further workup is pending.
Which disorder of the chest best describes these symptoms? A) Angina pectoris B) Pericarditis C) Dissecting aortic aneurysm D) Pleural pain
Ans: A Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 312, Table 8– Feedback: Angina causes dull chest pain felt in the retrosternal area or anterior chest. It often radiates to the shoulders, arms, neck, and jaw. It is associated with shortness of breath, nausea, and sweating. The pain is generally relieved by rest or medication after several minutes. This patient needs to be admitted to the hospital for further workup for his accelerating symptoms.
A 75-year-old retired teacher presents to your clinic, complaining of severe, unrelenting anterior chest pain radiating to her back. She describes it as if someone is “ripping out her heart.” It began less than an hour ago. She states she is feeling very nauseated and may pass out. She denies any trauma or recent illnesses. She states she has never had pain like this before. Nothing seems to make the pain better or worse. Her medical history consists of difficult-to-control hypertension and coronary artery disease requiring two stents in the past. She is a widow. She denies any alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drug use. Her mother died of a stroke and her father died of a heart attack. She has one younger brother who has had bypass surgery. On examination you see an elderly female in a great deal of distress. She is lying on the table, curled up, holding her left and right arms against her chest and is restless, trying to find a comfortable position. Her blood pressure is 180/110 in the right arm and 130/60 in the left arm, and her pulse is 120. Her right carotid pulse is bounding but the left carotid pulse is weak. She is afebrile but her respirations are 24 times a minute. On auscultation her lungs are clear and her cardiac examination is unremarkable. You call EMS and have her taken to the hospital's ER for further evaluation. What disorder of the chest best describes her symptoms? A) Angina pectoris
A 60-year-old baker presents to your clinic, complaining of increasing shortness of breath and nonproductive cough over the last month. She feels like she can't do as much activity as she used to do without becoming tired. She even has to sleep upright in her recliner at night to be able to breathe comfortably. She denies any chest pain, nausea, or sweating. Her past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. She had a hysterectomy in her 40s for heavy vaginal bleeding. She is married and is retiring from the local bakery soon. She denies any tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her mother died of a stroke and her father died from prostate cancer. She denies any recent upper respiratory illness, and she has had no other symptoms. On examination she is in no acute distress. Her blood pressure is 160/100 and her pulse is 100. She is afebrile and her respiratory rate is 16. With auscultation she has distant air sounds and she has late inspiratory crackles in both lower lobes. On cardiac examination the S 1
and S 2 are distant and an S 3 is heard over the apex.
What disorder of the chest best describes her symptoms? A) Pneumonia B) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) C) Pleural pain D) Left-sided heart failure
Ans: D Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 314, Table 8– Feedback: In left-sided heart failure, fluid starts “backing up” into the lungs because the heart is unable to handle the volume. The excess fluid collects in the dependent areas, causing crackles in the bases of the lower lobes. Sitting up allows patients to breathe easier. The two main causes are chronic high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, which lead to myocardial ischemia and decreased contractility of the heart.
- A grandmother brings her 13-year-old grandson to you for evaluation. She noticed last week when he took off his shirt that his breastbone seemed collapsed. He seems embarrassed and tells you that it has been that way for quite awhile. He states he has no symptoms from it and he just tries not to take off his shirt in front of anyone. He denies any shortness of breath, chest pain, or lightheadedness on exertion. His past medical history is unremarkable. He is in sixth grade and just moved in with his grandmother after his father was deployed to the Middle East. His mother died several years ago in a car accident. He states that he does not smoke and has never touched alcohol. On examination you see a teenage boy appearing his stated age. On visual examination of his chest you see that the lower portion of the sternum is depressed. Auscultation of the lungs and heart are unremarkable.
What disorder of the thorax best describes your findings? A) Barrel chest B) Funnel chest (pectus excavatum) C) Pigeon chest (pectus carinatum) D) Thoracic kyphoscoliosis
Ans: B Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 317, Table 8– Feedback: Funnel chest is caused by a depression in the lower portion of the sternum. If severe enough there can be compression of the heart and great vessels, leading to murmurs on auscultation. This is usually only a cosmetic problem, but corrective surgeries can be performed if necessary.
- Which of the following anatomic landmark associations is correct? A) 2nd intercostal space for needle insertion in tension pneumothorax B) T6 for lower margin of endotracheal tube C) Sternal angle marks the 4th rib D) 5th intercostal space for chest tube insertion
Ans: A Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 283, Anatomy and Physiology Feedback: The 2nd intercostal space is indeed the correct location for insertion of a needle in tension pneumothorax. The other answers are incorrect. T4 marks the approximate bifurcation of the trachea and therefore marks the inferior limit for an endotracheal tube on chest X-ray. The sternal angle marks the 2nd rib, which helps establish the 2nd interspace for needle insertion as above or locations for cardiac auscultation (aortic and pulmonary areas). Finally, the 4th intercostal space is normally used for chest tube insertion.
A 55–year-old smoker complains of chest pain and gestures with a closed fist over her sternum to describe it. Which of the following diagnoses should you consider because of her gesture? A) Bronchitis B) Costochondritis C) Pericarditis D) Angina pectoris
Which of the following is consistent with good percussion technique? A) Allow all of the fingers to touch the chest while performing percussion. B) Maintain a stiff wrist and hand. C) Leave the plexor finger on the pleximeter after each strike. D) Strike the pleximeter over the distal inter-phalangeal joint.
Ans: D Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 296, Techniques of Examination Feedback: Percussion takes practice to master. Most struggle initially with keeping the wrist and hand relaxed. Other challenges include removing the plexor quickly and keeping the other fingers off the chest wall. These can dampen the sound you are trying to obtain. The ideal target for the plexor is the distal interphalangeal joint.
- Which of the following percussion notes would you obtain over the gastric bubble? A) Resonance B) Tympany C) Hyperresonance D) Flatness
Ans: B Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 296, Techniques of Examination Feedback: The gastric bubble produces one of the longest percussion notes. A patient with COPD may have hyperresonance over his chest, while a normal person would have resonance. Dullness is heard over a normal liver, and flatness is heard if one percusses a large muscle.
- Which of the following conditions would produce a hyperresonant percussion note? A) Large pneumothorax B) Lobar pneumonia C) Pleural effusion D) Empyema
Ans: A Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 296, Techniques of Examination
Feedback: There is a great deal of free air in the chest with a large pneumothorax, which produces a hyperresonant note. The other three conditions produce dullness by dampening the percussion note with fluid.
- Which lung sound possesses the characteristics of being louder and higher in pitch, with a short silence between inspiration and expiration and with expiration being longer than inspiration? A) Bronchovesicular B) Vesicular C) Bronchial D) Tracheal
Ans: C Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 296, Techniques of Examination Feedback: These sounds are consistent with bronchial breath sounds. Be alert for these, as they may occur elsewhere and indicate a pneumonia or other pathology. The current explanation for this phenomenon is that the sound from the trachea is carried very well to the chest wall by fluid. This same explanation explains “ee” to “aa” changes, whispered pectoriloquy, bronchophony, and other circumstances in which high-frequency sounds, normally blocked by the air-filled alveoli, could be transmitted to the chest wall.
- A patient complains of shortness of breath for the past few days. On examination, you note late inspiratory crackles in the lower third of the chest that were not present a week ago. What is the most likely explanation for these? A) Asthma B) COPD C) Bronchiectasis D) Heart failure
Ans: D Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 296, Techniques of Examination Feedback: The timing of crackles within inspiration provides important clues. These late inspiratory crackles that appeared suddenly would be most consistent with heart failure. COPD and asthma usually produce early inspiratory crackles. Bronchiectasis, as seen in cystic fibrosis, classically produces mid-inspiratory crackles, but this is not always reliable. Interestingly, end- expiratory crackles can be heard in asthma on occasion.
A) Call a medevac helicopter B) Drive him to the city (4 hours away) C) Press on his sternum and spine simultaneously D) Examine him for tenderness over the injured area
Ans: C Chapter: 08 Page and Header: 309, Special Techniques Feedback: The area involved in the injury will of course be tender. If you press in an area remote to the injury, but over the same bone which may be involved, you can produce tenderness at the site of injury. This would indicate that there may be a fracture at the lateral ribs. Fortunately, this maneuver did not reproduce pain remotely, and your uncle simply sat on the sidelines for the rest of the game.
Bates Test questions The Thorax and Lungs
Course: Health Assessment (NRSG 5115)
University: Northeastern University
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