HESI CAT Exam 2024 Related

Review HESI CAT Exam 2024 related questions and content

A young adult client was admitted 36 hours ago for a head injury that occurred as a result of a motorcycle accident. In the last 4 hours, the client's urine output has increased to over 200 ml/hour. Before reporting the finding to the healthcare provider, which intervention should the nurse implement?

  • A. Obtain capillary blood samples for glucose every 2 hours
  • B. Measure oral secretions suctioned during the last 4 hours
  • C. Evaluate the urine osmolality and serum osmolality values
  • D. Obtain blood pressure and assess for dependent edema
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is to evaluate the urine osmolality and serum osmolality values. The increased urine output following a head injury could indicate diabetes insipidus, a condition characterized by excessive urination and extreme thirst. Evaluating osmolality is crucial for diagnosing diabetes insipidus. Choice A is incorrect because obtaining capillary blood samples for glucose every 2 hours is not the priority in this situation. Choice B is irrelevant to the client's current symptom of increased urine output. Choice D is also not the most appropriate intervention as the focus should be on assessing for a potential endocrine issue related to the increased urine output.