Which disorder is characterized by a group of symptoms produced by an excess of free circulating cortisol from the adrenal cortex?

Addison disease

Hashimoto disease

Cushing syndrome

Graves disease

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

Reasoning:

Choice A reason: Addison disease results from adrenal insufficiency, causing deficient cortisol and aldosterone production. This leads to symptoms like hypotension, hyponatremia, and hyperkalemia, opposite to the cortisol excess seen in Cushing syndrome, which involves weight gain, hypertension, and hyperglycemia due to elevated adrenal cortex activity.

Choice B reason: Hashimoto disease is an autoimmune thyroiditis causing hypothyroidism, with low thyroid hormone levels leading to fatigue, weight gain, and cold intolerance. It does not involve adrenal cortex cortisol excess, unlike Cushing syndrome, which is characterized by hypercortisolism and distinct metabolic and physical symptoms.

Choice C reason: Cushing syndrome is defined by excess free circulating cortisol from the adrenal cortex, due to pituitary tumors, adrenal hyperplasia, or exogenous steroids. This causes weight gain, moon face, hypertension, and hyperglycemia, reflecting cortisol’s effects on metabolism, fat distribution, and fluid balance, making it the correct disorder.

Choice D reason: Graves disease is an autoimmune condition causing hyperthyroidism, with excess thyroid hormone leading to weight loss, tachycardia, and heat intolerance. It does not involve adrenal cortex cortisol production, unlike Cushing syndrome, which is specifically related to hypercortisolism and its systemic metabolic effects.

Nursing Test Bank

Quiz #1: RN Exams Pharmacology Exams Quiz #2: RN Exams Medical-Surgical Exams Quiz #3: RN Exams Fundamentals Exams Quiz #4: RN Exams Maternal-Newborn Exams Quiz #5: RN Exams Anatomy and Physiology Exams Quiz #6: RN Exams Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Quiz #7: RN Exams Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Quiz #8: RN Exams Community Health Exams Quiz #9: RN Exams Promoting Health across the lifespan Exams Quiz #10: RN Exams Multidimensional care Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Quiz #1: Naxlex RN Comprehensive online practice 2019 B with NGN Quiz #2: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Quiz #3: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Exit Exam A Quiz #4: Naxlex HESI Exit LPN Exam Quiz #5: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor PN 2020 Quiz #6: Naxlex VATI PN Comprehensive Predictor 2020 Quiz #8: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 - Exam 1 Quiz #10: Naxlex HESI PN Exit exam Quiz #11: Naxlex HESI PN EXIT Exam 2

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Reasoning:

Choice A reason: Elimination of iron by the body is not a typical cause of anemia in older adults. Iron is tightly regulated, and excessive loss occurs through bleeding, not spontaneous elimination. Anemia in the elderly is more commonly due to chronic blood loss or impaired absorption, not iron excretion.

Choice B reason: Excessive coffee or tea consumption can inhibit iron absorption due to tannins binding dietary iron, but it is not a primary cause of anemia in older adults. Blood loss or chronic disease are more common culprits, making dietary inhibition a less likely contributor in this population.

Choice C reason: Blood loss from the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract is a common cause of anemia in older adults. Chronic bleeding from ulcers, colon cancer, or urinary tract issues depletes iron stores, leading to iron deficiency anemia, a frequent finding in the elderly due to higher prevalence of these conditions.

Choice D reason: A decrease in total body iron stores with age is not a primary cause of anemia. While absorption may decline slightly, blood loss from gastrointestinal or genitourinary sources is a more significant contributor in older adults, as it directly reduces iron available for hemoglobin synthesis.

A. Chest radiograph B. ECG C. CBC D. Antibiotic

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Reasoning:

Choice A reason: A chest radiograph evaluates lung or cardiac issues but is not the first test for symptoms of tiredness, coldness, and shortness of breath with tachycardia. These suggest anemia, and a CBC directly assesses hemoglobin and red blood cell counts, making it more relevant than imaging for initial evaluation.

Choice B reason: An ECG assesses cardiac rhythm and ischemia, useful for tachycardia, but it does not address the underlying cause of fatigue, coldness, and dyspnea. These symptoms suggest anemia, and a CBC is needed to confirm low hemoglobin before evaluating cardiac function with an ECG.

Choice C reason: A complete blood count (CBC) is the most appropriate test, as tiredness, coldness, shortness of breath, and tachycardia suggest anemia. A CBC measures hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell indices, identifying anemia’s presence and type, guiding further diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for the client’s symptoms.

Choice D reason: Antibiotics treat infections, but tiredness, coldness, dyspnea, and tachycardia point to anemia, not infection. Without fever or infection signs, antibiotics are inappropriate. A CBC is needed to confirm anemia as the cause, making it the priority over empirical antibiotic therapy.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

Which disorder is characterized by a group of symptoms produced by an excess of free circulating cortisol from the adrenal cortex?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

The nurse is caring for an older adult client who has been admitted to the unit with anemia. What would the nurse expect the client to possibly exhibit?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A client reports feeling tired, cold, and short of breath at times. Assessment reveals tachycardia and reduced energy. What would the nurse expect the health care provider to order?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A client has been diagnosed with thrombocytopenia. What are the primary nursing interventions while instituting corticosteroid therapy in this client?

A client who is in the third trimester of pregnancy has been experiencing an exacerbation of iron-deficiency anemia in recent weeks. When providing the client with nutritional guidelines and meal suggestions, what foods would be most likely to increase the client’s iron stores?

The nurse is collecting data for a client who has been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. What subjective findings does the nurse recognize as symptoms related to this type of anemia?

A client with anemia has been admitted to the medical-surgical unit. Which assessment findings are characteristic of iron deficiency anemia?

Which outcome indicates that treatment of a client with diabetes insipidus has been effective?

The nurse should advise a client with iron deficiency anemia to take which action to prevent staining of the teeth?

A client has a history of sickle cell anemia with several sickle cell crises over the past 10 years. What blood component results in sickle cell anemia?