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A nurse has used the Geriatric Depression Scale (short form) to assess an older adult client for depression. Which score would lead the nurse to suspect that the client is mildly depressed?
- A. 3
- B. 5
- C. 8
- D. 13
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Geriatric Depression Scale (short form) has 15 questions, with scores of 5?8 indicating mild depression and 9?15 indicating moderate to severe depression. A score of 8 (option C) falls within the mild depression range. Scores of 3 and 5 (options A and B) are below the threshold, and 13 (option D) indicates moderate to severe depression.
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An 80-year-old client visits the mental health clinic with her daughter. During the assessment process, the client tells the nurse that she is taking an antidepressant, an antibiotic, and an occasional aspirin. Which question would be most important for the nurse to ask?
- A. How much grapefruit juice do you drink on a daily basis?
- B. How much orange juice do you drink on a daily basis?
- C. How much tomato juice do you drink on a daily basis?
- D. How much grape juice do you drink on a daily basis?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Grapefruit juice can interact with many medications, including some antidepressants and antibiotics, by inhibiting the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, potentially leading to increased drug levels and toxicity. Orange, tomato, and grape juices (options B, C, D) do not have significant interactions with these medications, making grapefruit juice the most critical to assess.
A group of nursing students is reviewing information about age-related changes occurring in cognition and intellectual performance. The students demonstrate understanding of the information when they identify which of the following as a normal cognitive change?
- A. Disorientation to time
- B. Slowed information processing
- C. Diminished executive functioning
- D. Restricted judgment
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Slowed information processing (option B) is a normal age-related cognitive change, as processing speed declines with aging but does not impair overall function significantly. Disorientation to time (A), diminished executive functioning (C), and restricted judgment (D) are more indicative of pathological conditions like dementia, not normal aging.
The nurse is assessing a client who has a history of heavy drinking and who lost his wife to cancer during the previous year. He reports that he isn?t getting as much sleep as he used to when he was younger. Which question would be most appropriate to ask the client to determine if the change in his sleep pattern is related to normal aging or depression?
- A. How much did you sleep when you were younger?
- B. Is it hard for you to fall asleep or remain asleep during the night?
- C. Why do you think you continue to ingest so much alcohol?
- D. What used to help you go to sleep?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Difficulty falling or staying asleep (option B) is a key symptom of depression, especially in the context of recent loss and heavy drinking, which can exacerbate depressive symptoms. Normal aging may reduce sleep duration slightly, but insomnia is more indicative of depression. Options A, C, and D provide background but do not directly differentiate between aging and depression.
An elderly client tells the nurse that she had been constipated for the last few days and decided to use an over-the-counter fiber laxative that is dissolved in water. When reviewing the use of this laxative with the client, which of the following would the nurse include as a possible side effect?
- A. Diarrhea
- B. Nausea
- C. Flatus
- D. Stomach pain
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Fiber laxatives, such as psyllium, increase bulk in the stool and can cause flatus (gas) as a common side effect due to fermentation in the gut. Diarrhea (option A) may occur with overuse but is less common. Nausea (option B) and stomach pain (option D) are less directly associated with fiber laxatives compared to flatus.
While caring for an 88-year-old client suspected of having dementia, the nurse assesses the client for a common delusional thought. Which of the following would the nurse interpret as a common delusion?
- A. I am the king of the universe.
- B. Creatures are living in my closet.
- C. The government has people following me.
- D. My roommate keeps stealing my clothes.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In dementia, a common delusion is the belief that personal belongings are being stolen, often by familiar people like roommates or caregivers, as in option D. Grandiose delusions (option A) or paranoid delusions about the government (option C) are less common in dementia and more associated with other disorders like schizophrenia. Option B is less typical and more fantastical.