Nursing Process NCLEX Questions Related

Review Nursing Process NCLEX Questions related questions and content

A client diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) comes to the emergency department with severe back pain. She reports that she first felt pain after manually opening her garage door and that she is taking prednisone daily. When adverse effect of long-term corticosteroid therapy is most likely responsible for the pain?

  • A. Hypertension
  • B. Muscle wasting
  • C. Osteoporosis
  • D. Truncal obesity
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Osteoporosis. Long-term corticosteroid therapy, such as prednisone, is known to cause bone loss and increase the risk of osteoporosis. Corticosteroids inhibit bone formation and increase bone resorption, leading to decreased bone density and increased fracture risk, which can manifest as severe back pain.

Incorrect choices:
A: Hypertension - Corticosteroids can cause fluid retention and sodium retention, leading to hypertension, but it is not typically associated with severe back pain.
B: Muscle wasting - Corticosteroids can lead to muscle weakness, but severe back pain is not typically related to muscle wasting.
D: Truncal obesity - Corticosteroids can cause weight gain, especially in the trunk area, but this is not directly responsible for severe back pain.