Question 1

A newborn infant has Down syndrome.During the skin assessment,the nurse notices a transient mottling in the trunk and extremities in response to the cooler examination room temperature.The infant's mother also notices the mottling and asks what it is.The nurse knows that this mottling is called:

Accepted Answer

A)   café au lait.
B)   carotenemia.
C)   acrocyanosis.
D)   cutis marmorata. D

Question 2

The nurse is assessing for inflammation in a dark-skinned person.Which is the best technique?

Accepted Answer

A)   Assess the skin for cyanosis and swelling.
B)   Assess the oral mucosa for generalized erythema.
C)   Palpate the skin for edema and increased warmth.
D)   Palpate for tenderness and local areas of ecchymosis. C

Question 3

The nurse is assessing the skin of a patient who has AIDS and notices multiple patch-like lesions on the temple and beard area that are faint pink in color.The nurse recognizes these lesions as:

Accepted Answer

A)   measles (rubeola) .
B)   Kaposi's sarcoma.
C)   angiomas.
D)   herpes zoster. B

Question 4

An elderly woman is brought to the emergency department after being found lying on the kitchen floor 2 days,and she is extremely dehydrated.What would the nurse expect to see upon examination?

Accepted Answer

A)   Smooth mucous membranes and lips
B)   Dry mucous membranes and cracked lips
C)   Pale mucous membranes
D)   White patches on the mucous membranes

Question 5

A patient comes to the clinic and states that he has noticed that his skin is redder than normal.The nurse understands that this condition is due to hyperemia and knows that it can be caused by:

Accepted Answer

A)   decreased amounts of bilirubin in the blood.
B)   excess blood in the underlying blood vessels.
C)   decreased perfusion to the surrounding tissues.
D)   excess blood in the dilated superficial capillaries.

Question 6

The nurse notices that a school-aged child has bluish-white,red-based spots in her mouth that are elevated about 1 mm to 3 mm.What other signs would the nurse expect to find in this patient?

Accepted Answer

A)   A pink, papular rash on the face and neck
B)   Pruritic vesicles over her trunk and neck
C)   Hyperpigmentation on the chest, abdomen, and the back of the arms
D)   A red-purple, maculopapular, blotchy rash behind the ears and on the face

Question 7

A patient is especially worried about an area of skin on her feet that has turned white.The health care provider has told her that her condition is vitiligo.The nurse explains to her that vitiligo is:

Accepted Answer

A)   caused by an excess of melanin pigment.
B)   caused by an excess of apocrine glands in her feet.
C)   caused by the complete absence of melanin pigment.
D)   related to impetigo and can be treated with an ointment.

Question 8

While performing an assessment of a 65-year-old man with a history of hypertension and coronary artery disease,the nurse notices the presence of pitting edema in the lower legs bilaterally.The skin is puffy and tight but of normal color.There is no increased redness or tenderness over his lower legs,and the peripheral pulses are equal and strong.In this situation,the nurse suspects that the likely cause of the edema would be:

Accepted Answer

A)   heart failure.
B)   venous thrombosis.
C)   a local inflammation.
D)   blockage of lymphatic drainage.

Question 9

The nurse is examining a patient who tells the nurse,"I sure sweat a lot,especially on my face and feet but it doesn't have an odor." The nurse knows that this could be related to:

Accepted Answer

A)   the eccrine glands.
B)   the apocrine glands.
C)   a disorder of the stratum corneum.
D)   a disorder of the stratum germinativum.

Question 10

The nurse educator is preparing an education module for the nursing staff on the dermis layer of skin.Which of these statements would be included in the module? The dermis:

Accepted Answer

A)   contains mostly fat cells.
B)   consists mostly of keratin.
C)   is replaced every 4 weeks.
D)   contains sensory receptors.

Question 11

A black patient is in the intensive care unit because of impending shock after an accident.The nurse would expect to find what characteristics in this patient's skin?

Accepted Answer

A)   Ruddy blue
B)   Generalized pallor
C)   Ashen, gray, or dull
D)   Patchy areas of pallor

Question 12

A patient comes to the clinic and tells the nurse that he has been confined to his recliner chair for about 3 days with his feet down and he wants the nurse to evaluate his feet.During the assessment,the nurse might expect to find:

Accepted Answer

A)   pallor.
B)   coolness.
C)   distended veins.
D)   prolonged capillary filling time.

Question 13

The nurse has discovered decreased skin turgor in a patient and knows that this is an expected finding in which of these conditions?

Accepted Answer

A)   Severe obesity
B)   Childhood growth spurts
C)   Severe dehydration
D)   Connective tissue disorders such as scleroderma

Question 14

A 52-year-old woman has a papule on her nose that has rounded,pearly borders and a central red ulcer.She said she first noticed it several months ago and that it has slowly grown larger.The nurse suspects which condition?

Accepted Answer

A)   Acne
B)   Basal cell carcinoma
C)   Malignant melanoma
D)   Squamous cell carcinoma

Question 15

The nurse is caring for a black child who has been diagnosed with marasmus.The nurse would expect to find the:

Accepted Answer

A)   hair to be less kinky and to be a copper-red color.
B)   head to be larger than normal, with wide-set eyes.
C)   skin on the hands and feet to be scaly and tender.
D)   lymph nodes in the groin to be enlarged and tender.

Question 16

A mother brings her child in to the clinic for an examination of the scalp and hair.She states that the child has developed some places where there are irregularly shaped patches with broken-off,stub-like hair and she is worried that this could be some form of premature baldness.The nurse tells her that it is:

Accepted Answer

A)   folliculitis and that it can be treated with an antibiotic.
B)   traumatic alopecia that can be treated with antifungal medications.
C)   tinea capitis and that it is highly contagious and needs immediate attention.
D)   trichotillomania and that her child probably has a habit of twirling her hair absentmindedly.

Question 17

A 45-year-old farmer comes in for a skin evaluation and complains of hair loss on his head.He has noticed that his hair seems to be breaking off in patches and that he has some scaling on his head.The nurse would begin the examination suspecting:

Accepted Answer

A)   tinea capitis.
B)   folliculitis
C)   toxic alopecia.
D)   seborrheic dermatitis.

Question 18

A patient has been admitted to a hospital after the staff in the nursing home noticed a pressure ulcer in his sacral area.The nurse examines the pressure ulcer and determines that it is a stage II ulcer.Which of these findings are characteristic of a stage II pressure ulcer? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)   Intact skin appears red but not broken.
B)   Partial thickness skin erosion with loss of epidermis or dermis.
C)   Ulcer extends into the subcutaneous tissue.
D)   Localized redness in light skin will blanch with fingertip pressure.
E)   Open blister areas have a red-pink wound bed.F)  Patches of eschar cover parts of the wound.

Question 19

The nurse is assessing a patient who has liver disease for jaundice.Which of these assessment findings is indicative of true jaundice?

Accepted Answer

A)   Yellow patches in the outer sclera
B)   Yellow color of the sclera that extends up to the iris
C)   Skin that appears yellow when examined under low light
D)   Yellow deposits on the palms and soles of the feet where jaundice first appears

Question 20

A 22-year-old woman comes to the clinic because of a severe sunburn and states,"I was just out in the sun for a couple of minutes." The nurse begins a medication review with her,paying special attention to which medication class?

Accepted Answer

A)   Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain
B)   Tetracyclines for acne
C)   Proton pump inhibitors for heartburn
D)   Thyroid replacement hormone for hypothyroidism

Exam 12: Skin, Hair, and Nails