1. A nurse is caring for a patient who has been diagnosed

with appendicitis. The nurse knows that the word

appendicitis means:

a) inflammation of the appendix

b) removal of the appendix

c) infection of the appendix

d) rupture of the appendix

*Answer: a) inflammation of the appendix*

Rationale: The word appendicitis is composed of three

word parts: append-, -it, and -is. The word root appendmeans appendix, the suffix -it means inflammation, and the

suffix -is indicates a condition. Therefore, appendicitis

means a condition of inflammation of the appendix.

2. A nurse is reviewing a patient's medical record and sees

the abbreviation BP. The nurse understands that this

abbreviation stands for:

a) blood pressure

b) body part

c) blood product

d) body position

*Answer: a) blood pressure*

Rationale: BP is a common abbreviation for blood

pressure, which is the force exerted by the blood against

the walls of the blood vessels. Blood pressure is measured

using a device called a sphygmomanometer and is

expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

3. A nurse is teaching a patient about the importance of