NCLEX RN Questions on Respiratory System Related

Review NCLEX RN Questions on Respiratory System related questions and content

The nurse assesses wheezes in a patient with asthma and realizes that these breath sounds result from:

  • A. Increased thickness of respiratory secretions.
  • B. Use of accessory muscles of respiration.
  • C. Tachypnea and tachycardia.
  • D. Movement of air through narrowed airways.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because wheezes in asthma are caused by the movement of air through narrowed airways due to bronchoconstriction and inflammation. This narrowing leads to turbulent airflow, resulting in the characteristic high-pitched musical sound of wheezes. Increased thickness of respiratory secretions (A) may cause crackles, not wheezes. Use of accessory muscles (B) indicates respiratory distress but does not directly cause wheezes. Tachypnea and tachycardia (C) are common in asthma but do not directly cause wheezes. Thus, D is the most directly related to the pathophysiology of wheezes in asthma.