Nursing textbooks gastrointestinal practice questions set 3

Correct answer:

This response is open-ended and will encourage the patient to further discuss feelings of anxiety or sadness about the diagnosis. Patients with esophageal cancer have only a low survival rate, so the response 'You may have quite a few years still left to live' is misleading. The response beginning, 'Thinking about dying' indicates that the nurse is not open to discussing the patient's fears of dying. And the response beginning, 'It is important that you be realistic,' discourages the patient from feeling hopeful, which is important to patients with any life-threatening diagnosis.

Correct answer:

Maslow ranked human needs as follows: physiologic needs; safety and security; sense of belonging and affection; esteem and self-respect; and self-actualization, which includes self-fulfillment, desire to know and understand, and aesthetic needs. Such a hierarchy of needs is a useful framework that can be applied to the various nursing models for assessment of a patients strengths, limitations, and need for nursing interventions. The other answers are incorrect because they are not of primary importance when caring for a dying patient, though each should certainly be addressed.

Correct answer:

Severe burn injury may cause high fluid loss leading to hypovolemia. Elevated hematocrit levels and blood cell counts indicate hemoconcentration, which means a high ratio of blood components in relation to watery plasma. This increases the potential for blood clots and urinary stones. In hypovolemia, the heart rate tends to be high because the heart tries to compensate for the drop in the circulatory volume. Serum electrolyte levels tend to remain normal because they are depleted in proportion to the water loss. CVP is usually below $4 \mathrm{~cm} \mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{O}$.

Correct answer:

The nurse measures bile drainage every 8 hours or according to agency policy. If more than 17 oz (500 mL) of bile drains within 24 hours or if drainage is significantly reduced, the nurse notifies the health care provider. The nurse should ensure that there is no tension on the bile drainage tubing; slack drainage tubing is an expected finding. About 34 oz (100 mL) in the drainage pouch after 8 hours, and 34 oz (10 mL) per hour of drainage in 24 hours are less than 17 oz (100 mL) in 24 hours and are therefore not findings that require health care provider notification.

Correct answer:

Because poor wound healing is a possible complication of malnutrition for this patient, normal healing of the incision is an indicator of the effectiveness of the PN in providing adequate nutrition. Blood glucose is monitored to prevent the complications of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, but it does not indicate that the patient's nutrition is adequate. The intake and output will be monitored but do not indicate that the PN is effective. The albumin level is in the low-normal range but does not reflect adequate caloric intake, which is also important for the patient.

Correct answer:

The nurse is correct in assessing vital signs following a colonoscopy with polyp removal as a priority. Vital signs of an increased pulse rate and falling blood pressure can indicate a perforation and bleeding. If a perforation occurs and is not addressed at an early stage, the client's level of consciousness can become affected. There would be no reliable stool present in the bowel to Hemoccult test due to the cleansing agent and potential bleeding from the polyp removal. The ability to tolerate fluids relates to the sedation process and is not as high of a priority.

Correct answer:

In functional obstruction, the intestine can become adynamic from an absence of normal nerve stimulation to intestinal muscle fibers. For example, abdominal surgery can lead to paralytic ileus. Mechanical obstructions result from a narrowing of the bowel lumen with or without a space-occupying mass. A mass may include a tumor, adhesions (fibrous bands that constrict tissue), incarcerated or strangulated hernias, volvulus (kinking of a portion of intestine), intussusception (telescoping of one part of the intestine into an adjacent part), or impacted feces or barium.

Correct answer:

When PaCO2 chronically exceeds 50 mm Hg, it creates insensitivity to CO2 in the respiratory medulla, and the use of oxygen may result in the patient developing carbon dioxide narcosis and hypoxemia. No information indicates the patients calcium will rise dramatically due to pituitary stimulation. No feedback system that oxygen stimulates would create an increase in the patients intracranial pressure and create confusion. Increasing the oxygen would not stimulate the patient to hyperventilate and become acidotic; rather, it would cause hypoventilation and acidosis.

Correct answer:

The nurse should monitor the client's weight daily and assess skin turgor and mucous membranes. The nurse should offer clear liquids in small amounts. Slow introduction of fluids enables the client to develop tolerance and determine if it is possible to advance the diet. The nurse should recommend the use of commercial, over-the-counter beverages that contain electrolytes. If the client's urine output drops below 17 oz (500 mL) per day, the nurse should notify the primary provider because this indicates severe dehydration and the need for IV replacement fluids.

Correct answer:

Encouraging the patient to share concerns assists in helping the patient adjust to the body changes. Acknowledgement of the patient's feelings and concerns is important rather than offering false reassurance. Because the patient indicates that the feelings about the ostomy are the reason for the difficulty with the many changes, development of a detailed ostomy care plan will not improve the patient's ability to manage the ostomy. Although detailed ostomy teaching may be postponed, the nurse should offer teaching about some aspects of living with an ostomy.