Adult Health HESI Test Bank Questions with
Answers and Explanations
ENDOCRINE DISORDERS
1. Nurse Ronn is assessing a client with
possible Cushing’s
... [Show More] syndrome. In a client with
Cushing’s syndrome, the nurse would expect
to find:
a. Hypotension.
b. Thick, coarse skin.
c. Deposits of adipose tissue in the trunk and
dorsocervical area.
d. Weight gain in arms and legs.
1. Answer C. Because of changes in fat distribution,
adipose tissue accumulates in the trunk, face
(moonface), and dorsocervical areas (buffalo hump).
Hypertension is caused by fluid retention. Skin
becomes thin and bruises easily because of a loss of
collagen. Muscle wasting causes muscle atrophy and
thin extremities.
2. A male client with primary diabetes
insipidus is ready for discharge on
desmopressin (DDAVP). Which instruction
should nurse Lina provide?
a. “Administer desmopressin while the
suspension is cold.”
b. “Your condition isn’t chronic, so you won’t
need to wear a medical identification bracelet.”
c. “You may not be able to use desmopressin
nasally if you have nasal discharge or
blockage.”
d. “You won’t need to monitor your fluid
intake and output after you start taking
desmopressin.”
2. Answer C. Desmopressin may not be absorbed if
the intranasal route is compromised. Although
diabetes insipidus is treatable, the client should wear
medical identification and carry medication at all
times to alert medical personnel in an emergency and
ensure proper treatment. The client must continue to
monitor fluid intake and output and receive adequate
fluid replacement.
3. Nurse Wayne is aware that a positive
Chvostek’s sign indicate?
a. Hypocalcemia
b. Hyponatremia
c. Hypokalemia
d. Hypermagnesemia
a. Hypocalcemia
b. Hyponatremia
c. Hypokalemia
d. Hypermagnesemia
3. Answer A. Chvostek’s sign is elicited by tapping
the client’s face lightly over the facial nerve, just
below the temple. If the client’s facial muscles
twitch, it indicates hypocalcemia. Hyponatremia is
indicated by weight loss, abdominal cramping,
muscle weakness, headache, and postural
hypotension. Hypokalemia causes paralytic ileus and
muscle weakness. Clients with hypermagnesemia
exhibit a loss of deep tendon reflexes, coma, or
cardiac arrest.
Adult Health HESI Test Bank Questions with
Answers and Explanations
4. In a 29-year-old female client who is
being successfully treated for Cushing’s
syndrome, nurse Lyzette would expect a
decline in:
a. Serum glucose level.
b. Hair loss.
c. Bone mineralization.
d. Menstrual flow.
a. Serum glucose level.
b. Hair loss.
c. Bone mineralization.
d. Menstrual flow.
4. Answer A. Hyperglycemia, which develops
from glucocorticoid excess, is a manifestation of
Cushing’s syndrome. With successful treatment of
the disorder, serum glucose levels decline. Hirsutism
is common in Cushing’s syndrome; therefore, with
successful treatment, abnormal hair growth also
declines. Osteoporosis occurs in Cushing’s
syndrome; therefore, with successful treatment, bone
Adult Health HESI Test Bank Questions with
Answers and Explanations
mineralization increases. Amenorrhea develops in
Cushing’s syndrome. With successful treatment, the
client experiences a return of menstrual flow, not a
decline in it.
5. A male client has recently undergone
surgical removal of a pituitary tumor. Dr.
Wong prescribes corticotropin (Acthar), 20
units I.M. q.i.d. as a replacement therapy.
What is the mechanism of action of
corticotropin?
a. It decreases cyclic adenosine
monophosphate (cAMP) production and affects
the metabolic rate of target organs.
b. It interacts with plasma membrane
receptors to inhibit enzymatic actions.
c. It interacts with plasma membrane
receptors to produce enzymatic actions that
affect protein, fat, and carbohydrate
metabolism.
d. It regulates the threshold for water
resorption in the kidneys.
5. Answer C. Corticotropin interacts with plasma
membrane receptors to produce enzymatic actions
that affect protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism.
It doesn’t decrease cAMP production. The posterior
pituitary hormone, antidiuretic hormone, regulates
the threshold for water resorption in the kidneys.
6. Capillary glucose monitoring is being
performed every 4 hours for a female client
diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis. Insulin
is administered using a scale of regular insulin
according to glucose results. At 2 p.m., the
client has a capillary glucose level of 250
mg/dl for which he receives 8 U of regular
insulin. Nurse Vince should expect the dose’s:
a. Onset to be at 2 p.m. and its peak to be at 3
p.m.
b. Onset to be at 2:15 p.m. and its peak to be
at 3 p.m.
c. Onset to be at 2:30 p.m. and its peak to be
at 4 p.m.
d. Onset to be at 4 p.m. and its peak to be at 6
p.m.
6. Answer C. Regular insulin, which is a shortacting insulin, has an onset of 15 to 30 minutes and a
peak of 2 to 4 hours. Because the nurse gave the
insulin at 2 p.m., the expected onset would be from
2:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the peak from 4 p.m. to 6
p.m. [Show Less]