01
True or false
1 point
Airway secretion management may be used in bronchiectasis as well as cystic fibrosis, with treatment chosen according to the patient’s condition and care plan.
Free Practice Quiz Question List
4 Mucolytics and Airway Secretion Management Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 4 Mucolytics and Airway Secretion Management, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Choose one
1 point
A patient asks how hypertonic saline can support mucus clearance. Which explanation is most accurate?
- A
It suppresses the cough reflex.
- B
It helps hydrate airway mucus.
- C
It breaks down bacteria in the airways.
- D
It relaxes airway smooth muscle.
03
Written response
1 point
Guaifenesin helps loosen mucus so it is easier to cough up. What medication category does it belong to?
04
Fill in the blank
1 point
Dornase alfa reduces the viscosity of purulent CF sputum by cutting .
05
True or false
1 point
Airway clearance techniques help move secretions out of the airways and are distinct from medicines that change mucus properties.
- A
True
- B
False
06
Fill in the blank
1 point
Inhaled acetylcysteine reduces mucus viscosity by disrupting .
07
Choose one
1 point
After inhaled acetylcysteine, a patient has thinner, more abundant secretions but a weak cough. What is the main concern?
- A
The patient may be unable to clear the loosened secretions effectively.
- B
The treatment has stopped working because the secretions are thinner.
- C
The patient should suppress coughing to prevent secretion movement.
- D
Thinner secretions confirm that bronchospasm has occurred.
08
Choose all
1 point
Select all of the following that are airway clearance techniques (ACTs), rather than mucus-thinning medicines.
- A
Huff coughing
- B
Active-cycle breathing
- C
Positive expiratory pressure devices
- D
Chest physical therapy
- E
Oscillatory vests
- F
Hypertonic saline
09
Written response
1 point
What adverse airway effect may occur during treatment with inhaled acetylcysteine and warrants monitoring?
10
Choose one
1 point
A clinician is considering inhaled mannitol for an adult with CF. Which statement best reflects its use and safety considerations?
- A
It is appropriate for every adult with a cough and requires no screening.
- B
It is used in eligible adults with CF, with screening and precautions because it can cause bronchospasm.
- C
It works by suppressing cough so mucus is retained in the airways.
- D
It is an expectorant that treats the underlying cause of illness.
11
Choose all
1 point
Select all statements that accurately distinguish the roles of mucus-thinning medicines, expectorants, and airway clearance techniques.
- A
Mucus-thinning medicines change the properties of secretions.
- B
Expectorants help loosen mucus so it is easier to cough up.
- C
Airway clearance techniques help move secretions out of the airways.
- D
Expectorants treat the underlying cause of the illness.
- E
Airway clearance techniques work by completely stopping mucus production.
12
Open ended
1 point
Describe how a care team might combine different treatments to support airway secretion management, and explain why the treatment sequence should be individualized rather than assumed to be the same for every patient.
13
True or false
1 point
A care plan lists a bronchodilator, a mucus-thinning treatment, and an airway clearance technique. Is this sequence automatically appropriate for every patient? Answer true or false.
- A
True
- B
False
14
Choose one
1 point
A patient with CF asks why dornase alfa is included in a mucus-management plan. Which explanation best describes its action?
- A
It cuts extracellular DNA in purulent CF sputum, reducing its viscosity.
- B
It disrupts disulfide bonds to reduce mucus viscosity.
- C
It hydrates airway mucus by increasing its water content.
- D
It loosens mucus but does not affect its viscosity.
15
Written response
1 point
Which medication cuts extracellular DNA in purulent cystic fibrosis sputum? Enter the medication name.
16
Written response
1 point
What does PEP stand for in the name of an airway-clearance device? Enter the full term.
17
Choose one
1 point
A patient is prescribed hypertonic saline as part of a secretion-management plan. What is its intended role?
- A
It helps hydrate airway mucus and support its clearance.
- B
It cuts extracellular DNA in purulent sputum.
- C
It suppresses the cough reflex.
- D
It directly treats the underlying cause of a productive cough.
18
Choose one
1 point
A patient taking guaifenesin asks whether it will cure the illness causing a productive cough. Which response is most accurate?
- A
It treats the bacterial cause of a productive cough.
- B
It prevents airway inflammation and eliminates mucus.
- C
It can help loosen mucus but does not treat the underlying cause.
- D
It stops mucus production so coughing is unnecessary.
19
Choose one
1 point
After inhaled acetylcysteine, a patient has more mobile secretions but a weak cough. What is the main concern?
- A
The loosened secretions will always clear without assistance.
- B
The patient may be unable to clear the increased volume of loosened secretions.
- C
The patient should suppress coughing to keep the secretions in place.
- D
The change means the treatment has stopped working.
20
Choose one
1 point
A patient develops new wheezing during an inhaled acetylcysteine treatment. What response best reflects the medication’s safety concern?
- A
Ignore the wheezing because it is an expected sign that mucus is loosening.
- B
Give another dose immediately to clear the airway.
- C
Assess for bronchospasm and follow the prescribed clinical response.
- D
Suppress the cough so secretions remain in the airway.
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