1
Medical
Medical Surgical Certification Exam
Questions with Correct Verified
Answers Latest Update (2024/2025)
Guaranteed Pass
1. How long should you fast before cholesterol testing? - ANS ✓at
least 8 hours or more
2. What is a normal range for LDL cholesterol? - ANS ✓<160 mg/dL
3. What is a normal range for HDL cholesterol? - ANS ✓>40 mg/dL
4. What is a normal level for total cholesterol? - ANS ✓<200 mg/dL
5. What is a normal level for triglycerides? - ANS ✓<150 mg/dL
6. "An S3 heart sound can be normal in which people?" - ANS
✓young people and athletes
7. An S3 heart sound is often associated with? - ANS ✓heart
failure/fluid volume overload (when heard in the older adult). This
heart sound is transient (may come and go)
Medical Surgical Certification
, 2
Medical
8. What is the definition of cardiac output? - ANS ✓the amount of
blood pumped by the heart in one minute
9. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) - ANS ✓dx age 2-4, s/s: anemia,
bleeding, infection, elevated WBC, joint/bone pain. The most
common form of childhood leukemia. Overproduction of
lymphocytes
10. Protonix - ANS ✓Management of GI bleeds. Begins with a
bolus and then gtt
11. S/S of peritoneal irritation - ANS ✓rigid abdomen, absent
bowel sounds, tenderness/guarding of abdomen, severe focal pain,
N/V
12. What are causes of peritoneal irritation - ANS
✓appendicitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, obstruction, perforated
viscous, inflammatory bowel disease
13. What drugs increase the risk of pancreatitis? - ANS
✓corticosteroids, cyclosporine, sulfonamides, estrogens
14. DKA treatment - ANS ✓1. fluids (NS, D5 1/2NS) 2. Replace K
(drops with insulin) 3. Monitor phosphorous 4. Insulin drip
15. ACE inhibitor's mechanism of action - ANS ✓produce
vasodilation by inhibiting the formation of angiotensin II.
16. How to beta blockers work - ANS ✓Beta blockers decrease
the sympathetic nervous system's response (aka desensitizes nerve
Medical Surgical Certification
, 3
Medical
receptors on blood vessels) to decreased cardiac output resulting in
less constriction in the blood vessels, which ultimately lowers blood
pressure
17. What is a normal troponin level? - ANS ✓<0.4 ng/mL. This
level may take up to 4 hours to increase and stays elevated post
injury 10+ days
18. Risk factors for digoxin toxicity: - ANS ✓gastroparesis (may
have increased absorption because it is in the stomach longer),
advanced age, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, herbal supplements,
diuretic use, calcium channel blocker use and amiodarone (reduces
clearance of digoxin by 30%)
19. What is an early s/s of digoxin toxicity? - ANS ✓N/V is an
Early s/s, while vision changes is a LATE s/s of digoxin toxicity
20. What is the is the most common cause of a pericardial
friction rub (grating/scratching)? - ANS ✓pericarditis..other
situations that may result in pericardial friction rub are post op after
heart surgery, in an immunosuppressed patient or one with
rheumatic fever
21. ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) - ANS
✓respiratory insufficiency marked by progressive/sudden hypoxia
caused by inflammatory process. Patient may have pulmonary edema
without a cardiac cause
22. What is the recommended daily allowance of sodium for
someone with hypertension? - ANS ✓less than 2400mg
Medical Surgical Certification
, 4
Medical
23. An echocardiography tells us - ANS ✓information on the size
and pumping function of the heart, blood volume status and valve
functioning
24. Why should someone with cardiovascular disease be
concerned with new or excessive fatigue with an exercise
program - ANS ✓this may indicate worsening hypertension or heart
valve dysfunction
25. How does the body compensate for lack of myocardial
oxygen consumption? - ANS ✓First RR is increased, then heart rate
goes up and finally a late indicator is increased blood pressure/pulse
pressure
26. Causes of ARDs - ANS ✓Sepsis, shock, gastric aspiration,
trauma, pancreatitis, drowning
27. Large Cell Lung Cancer - ANS ✓Fast growing, least common,
occurs in 10% of people
28. What diagnostic tests correlate with acute pancreatitis? -
ANS ✓amylase and lipase (along with abdominal assessment)
29. Why is a rigid abdomen concerning in a patient with
pancreatitis? - ANS ✓it is a ominous finding that can progress to
severe infection, peritonitis and sepsis. The rigidity is caused by
involuntary muscle spasms
30. What are common causes of air leaks in chest tubes? - ANS
✓hole in tubing, chest tube pulled out of pleural space, disconnected
tubing
Medical Surgical Certification
