Preparing for the AGACNP (Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) exam? Physiology is one of the areas our deck drills hardest: 40 of its 1020 flashcards focus on physiology. Try the sample questions below — every card is a real question-and-answer pair from the full deck.
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A 65-year-old male with long-standing untreated hypertension presents with dyspnea. Echocardiogram reveals a thickened left ventricular wall. What specific cellular adaptation has occurred, and what is the underlying mechanism?
Show answer →Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH). Mechanism: Increased afterload triggers mechanical stretch and growth factors (IGF-1), leading to increased protein synthesis and organelle size, but not cell number. Exam Tip: Distinguish from hyperplasia (increase in cell number). In the heart, myocytes are permanent cells and cannot undergo hyperplasia. LVH is a compensatory response that eventually leads to heart failure as oxygen demand outstrips supply.
During a prolonged cardiac arrest, cellular ATP levels drop significantly. What is the immediate consequence on electrolyte balance and cellular morphology?
Show answer →ATP depletion causes failure of the Na+/K+-ATPase pump. Sodium accumulates intracellularly, and potassium exits. Water follows sodium (osmosis), leading to acute cellular swelling (hydropic degeneration). Failure of the Ca2+ pump also leads to calcium influx, activating destructive enzymes (proteases, nucleases). ANCC Focus: Early reversible injury is characterized by swelling; irreversible injury is marked by membrane rupture and mitochondrial density.
A 55-year-old patient with chronic GERD undergoes endoscopy. Biopsy shows stratified squamous epithelium replaced by simple columnar epithelium with goblet cells. Identify this adaptation and its clinical significance.
Show answer →Metaplasia (specifically intestinal metaplasia/Barrett's Esophagus). It is a reversible replacement of one mature cell type by another better suited to the environment (acid resistance). Clinical Significance: While the adaptation is protective, it is a precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma. ANCC strategy: Metaplasia is reversible if the stimulus is removed, unlike dysplasia, which carries a higher malignant potential.
A patient undergoes PCI for an STEMI. Following successful restoration of blood flow, the patient experiences reperfusion arrhythmias and localized tissue damage. What mechanism explains this phenomenon?
Show answer →Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury. Mechanism: Re-oxygenation leads to a burst of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) like superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. These cause lipid peroxidation of membranes and mitochondrial pore opening. Calcium overload also occurs as flow returns. Exam Tip: This explains why restoring flow can paradoxically cause further damage. In the acute care setting, this is a key consideration in MI, stroke, and organ transplant.
Contrast the type of necrosis expected in a patient with an acute myocardial infarction versus a patient with an ischemic stroke in the brain.
Show answer →MI leads to Coagulative Necrosis: Protein denaturation preserves tissue architecture for several days (the ghost of the cell remains). Ischemic stroke leads to Liquefactive Necrosis: Hydrolytic enzymes (from microglial cells) digest tissue into a liquid mass or pus, as brain tissue is rich in lipids and lacks structural collagen. ANCC Tip: Distinguish these by organ; coagulative is typical of solid organs (heart, kidney, spleen).
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Try 30 free AGACNP cards firstThe full AGACNP deck contains 1020 flashcards, and 40 of them focus on physiology. This page shows 5 free samples.
Our AGACNP deck dedicates 40 of 1020 cards (4%) to physiology — always cross-check the official ANCC exam outline for the current blueprint weighting.
Yes — the samples on this page are free, and the AGACNP preview page has 30 more free cards. Full access to all 1020 cards is a one-time $7.
Assessment
50 cards
Basics
80 cards
Diagnostics
150 cards
Management
440 cards
Pathology
30 cards
Pharmacology
130 cards
Procedures
90 cards
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