A patient with leukemia has developed stomatitis and is experiencing a nutritional deficit. An oral anesthetic has consequently been prescribed. What health education should the nurse provide to the patient?
- A. Chew with care to avoid inadvertently biting the tongue.
- B. Use the oral anesthetic 1 hour prior to meal time.
- C. Brush teeth before and after eating.
- D. Swallow slowly and deliberately.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Chew with care to avoid inadvertently biting the tongue. Stomatitis causes mouth sores, making it crucial for the patient to be cautious while chewing to prevent accidental injury to the mouth. This helps in reducing pain and promoting healing.
Choice B is incorrect because using the oral anesthetic 1 hour prior to mealtime may not provide immediate relief during eating. Choice C is incorrect as brushing teeth before and after eating can irritate the mouth sores further. Choice D is incorrect as swallowing slowly and deliberately does not address the issue of preventing accidental biting of the tongue.
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A patient is presented with weakness of legs, arms, trunk, tingling and numbness that progressively worsens. Peripheral blood smear shows macrocytic anemia. Which of the following is not the factor causing this condition?
- A. Chronic atrophic gastritis
- B. Ileal resection
- C. Tapeworm infestation
- D. Alcoholism
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Tapeworm infestation. The symptoms described suggest vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to macrocytic anemia. Chronic atrophic gastritis can cause decreased intrinsic factor production, leading to impaired B12 absorption. Ileal resection can also affect B12 absorption as it is the site where B12 is absorbed. Alcoholism can lead to poor dietary intake and impaired B12 absorption. However, tapeworm infestation does not directly affect B12 absorption and would not be a likely cause of the described symptoms.
An oncology nurse is caring for a patient with multiple myeloma who is experiencing bone destruction. When reviewing the patient's most recent blood tests, the nurse should anticipate what imbalance?
- A. Hypercalcemia
- B. Hyperproteinemia
- C. Elevated serum viscosity
- D. Elevated RBC count
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Hypercalcemia. In multiple myeloma, bone destruction releases calcium into the bloodstream, leading to hypercalcemia. This can result in symptoms like excessive thirst, fatigue, confusion, and kidney issues. Hyperproteinemia (B) is not typically associated with multiple myeloma. Elevated serum viscosity (C) is more related to conditions like Waldenström macroglobulinemia, not multiple myeloma. Elevated RBC count (D) is not a common finding in multiple myeloma and is more suggestive of polycythemia vera.
A nurse should identify that clopidogrel is contraindicated for clients who have which of the following conditions?
- A. Myocardial infarction
- B. Peptic ulcer disease
- C. Pancreatitis
- D. Myasthenia gravis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet medication that can increase the risk of bleeding. Patients with peptic ulcer disease are at a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, so clopidogrel is contraindicated. Myocardial infarction, pancreatitis, and myasthenia gravis are not contraindications for clopidogrel use.
A female patient's hematocrit level is 50% and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. What should the nurse suspect as being the cause for this patient's hematocrit level?
- A. Dehydration
- B. Chronic renal failure
- C. Bone marrow suppression
- D. Bleeding esophageal varices
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Dehydration. Dehydration can lead to hemoconcentration, resulting in an elevated hematocrit level. When a person is dehydrated, the plasma volume decreases, causing an increase in the proportion of red blood cells in the blood, leading to a higher hematocrit level. In this case, the patient's high hematocrit level of 50% is likely due to dehydration rather than the other options. Oxygen saturation being 98% on room air indicates adequate oxygenation, ruling out chronic renal failure, bone marrow suppression, and bleeding esophageal varices as potential causes for the high hematocrit level in this patient.
A newborn infant develops jaundice on day of life 2. Labs are drawn, and she has a hemoglobin of 7.4 g/dL with a reticulocyte count of 8%. Upon peripheral blood smear review, she is found to have bizarre red cell forms with significant polkilocytosis. Although her parents have normal blood counts, on review of their peripheral blood smears, they both have a moderate number of ovalocytes. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the infant's red cell findings?
- A. She has an autosomal dominant ankyrin mutation from one of her parents causing hereditary spherocytosis.
- B. She has inherited band 3 variants from each parent and will likely need a splenectomy after she turns 5 years old.
- C. She has inherited an alpha-spectrin mutation from both of her parents and may experience an improvement in her anemia over time.
- D. She has inherited a PKLR variant from each parent, and enzyme testing will be consistent with her diagnosis of pyruvate kinase deficiency.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because the infant likely has hereditary elliptocytosis, an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the alpha-spectrin gene. Ovalocytes and polkilocytosis are characteristic of this condition. Since both parents have ovalocytes, it is likely that the infant inherited mutations from each parent, resulting in a more severe presentation. Anemia in hereditary elliptocytosis can improve over time due to compensatory mechanisms. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect as they describe different genetic disorders (hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary stomatocytosis, and pyruvate kinase deficiency, respectively) and do not match the clinical and family history provided.