bilateral

HESI A2
Vocabulary and General Knowledge
Multiple choice
Difficulty 2 of 5

Question

A nurse notes bilateral ankle discomfort in an adult client’s record. What does bilateral mean in this sentence?

On both sides✓ Correct

Correct. On both sides expresses the meaning in this context.
On one side only✗ Incorrect

Incorrect. On one side only does not express the meaning of bilateral.
Near the center only✗ Incorrect

Incorrect. Near the center only does not express the meaning of bilateral.
At an unspecified location✗ Incorrect

Incorrect. At an unspecified location does not express the meaning of bilateral.

Answer

A. On both sides

Rationale

Bilateral identifies a finding on each side. It describes location, not severity.

RememberBilateral refers to both sides.

Sources

Sources marked “Adapted from” are licensed under CC BY 4.0. We changed the material: its facts are rewritten into an original question, answer options and rationale. The original authors and publishers do not endorse SwipeExam.

Adapted from Open RN Medical Terminology, 2nd edition: Chapter 2 Medical Language Related to the Whole Body Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College) · License: CC BY 4.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · Anatomical View of the Body, Positions, Locations, and Directional Terms › Anatomical Positions and Locations · 2nd edition, 2024
Adapted from Open RN Health Alterations: Chapter 10 Musculoskeletal System Alterations Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College) · License: CC BY 4.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · Rheumatoid Arthritis › Pathophysiology · 2024

Last verified: November 5, 2026 2 independent automated checks Question hesi-vgk-00001, version 1

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