Nokea
A patient returns to the unit after a neck dissection. The surgeon placed a Jackson Pratt drain in the wound. When assessing the wound drainage over the first 24 postoperative hours the nurse would notify the physician immediately for what?
- A. Presence of small blood clots in the drainage
- B. 60 mL of milky or cloudy drainage
- C. Spots of drainage on the dressings surrounding the drain
- D. 120 mL of serosanguinous drainage
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Between 80 and 120 mL of serosanguineous secretions may drain over the first 24 hours. Milky drainage is indicative of a chyle fistula, which requires prompt treatment.
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A community health nurse serves a diverse population. What individual would likely face the highest risk for parotitis?
- A. A patient who is receiving intravenous antibiotic therapy in the home setting
- B. A patient who has a chronic venous ulcer
- C. An older adult whose medication regimen includes an anticholinergic
- D. A patient with poorly controlled diabetes who receives weekly wound care
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Elderly, acutely ill, or debilitated people with decreased salivary flow from general dehydration or medications are at high risk for parotitis. Anticholinergic medications inhibit saliva production. Antibiotics, diabetes, and wounds are not risk factors for parotitis.
A medical nurse who is caring for a patient being discharged home after a radical neck dissection has collaborated with the home health nurse to develop a plan of care for this patient. What is a priority psychosocial outcome for a patient who has had a radical neck dissection?
- A. Indicates acceptance of altered appearance and demonstrates positive self-image
- B. Freely expresses needs and concerns related to postoperative pain management
- C. Compensates effectively for alteration in ability to communicate related to dysarthria
- D. Demonstrates effective stress management techniques to promote muscle relaxation
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Since radical neck dissection involves removal of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, spinal accessory muscles, and cervical lymph nodes on one side of the neck, the patients appearance is visibly altered. The face generally appears asymmetric, with a visible neck depression; shoulder drop also occurs frequently. These changes have the potential to negatively affect self-concept and body image. Facilitating adaptation to these changes is a crucial component of nursing intervention. Patients who have had head and neck surgery generally report less pain as compared with other postoperative patients; however, the nurse must assess each individual patients level of pain and response to analgesics. Patients may experience transient hoarseness following a radical neck dissection; however, their ability to communicate is not permanently altered. Stress management is beneficial but would not be considered the priority in this clinical situation.
A patient has been diagnosed with a malignancy of the oral cavity and is undergoing oncologic treatment. The oncologic nurse is aware that the prognosis for recovery from head and neck cancers is often poor because of what characteristic of these malignancies?
- A. Radiation therapy often results in secondary brain tumors.
- B. Surgical complications are exceedingly common.
- C. Diagnosis rarely occurs until the cancer is endstage.
- D. Metastases are common and respond poorly to treatment.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Deaths from malignancies of the head and neck are primarily attributable to local-regional metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes in the neck. This often occurs by way of the lymphatics before the primary lesion has been treated. This local-regional metastasis is not amenable to surgical resection and responds poorly to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This high mortality rate is not related to surgical complications, late diagnosis, or the development of brain tumors.
A nurse who provides care in an ambulatory clinic integrates basic cancer screening into admission assessments. What patient most likely faces the highest immediate risk of oral cancer?
- A. A 65-year-old man with alcoholism who smokes
- B. A 45-year-old woman who has type 1 diabetes and who wears dentures
- C. A 32-year-old man who is obese and uses smokeless tobacco
- D. A 57-year-old man with GERD and dental caries
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Oral cancers are often associated with the use of alcohol and tobacco, which when used together have a synergistic carcinogenic effect. Most cases of oral cancers occur in people over the age of 60 and a disproportionate number of cases occur in men. Diabetes, dentures, dental caries, and GERD are not risk factors for oral cancer.
A nurse is caring for a patient in the late stages of esophageal cancer. The nurse should plan to prevent or address what characteristics of this stage of the disease?
- A. Perforation into the mediastinum
- B. Development of an esophageal lesion
- C. Erosion into the great vessels
- D. Painful swallowing
- E. Obstruction of the esophagus
Correct Answer: A,C,E
Rationale: In the later stages of esophageal cancer, obstruction of the esophagus is noted, with possible perforation into the mediastinum and erosion into the great vessels. Painful swallowing and the emergence of a lesion are early signs of esophageal cancer.