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The nurse is caring for a patient with a history of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with acute urinary retention and an elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. Which of the following prescribed therapies should the nurse implement first?
- A. Obtain renal ultrasound.
- B. Insert retention catheter.
- C. Infuse normal saline at 50 mL/hour.
- D. Draw blood for complete blood count.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The patient's elevation in BUN and creatinine is most likely associated with hydronephrosis caused by the acute urinary retention, so the insertion of a retention catheter is the first action to prevent ongoing postrenal failure for this patient. The other actions also are appropriate but should be implemented after the retention catheter.
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The nurse is assessing a patient who had a kidney transplant 8 years ago and is receiving the immunosuppressants tacrolimus, cyclosporin, and prednisone. Which of the following findings is of most concern to the nurse?
- A. The blood glucose is 7.9 mmol/L.
- B. The patient's blood pressure is 150/92.
- C. There is a nontender lump in the axilla
- D. The patient has a round, moonlike face.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A nontender lump suggests a malignancy such as a lymphoma, which could occur as a result of persistent immunosuppressive therapy. The elevated glucose, moon face, and hypertension are possible adverse effects of the prednisone and should be addressed, but they are not as great a concern as the possibility of a malignancy.
The nurse is caring for a patient who is receiving hemodialysis and has symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and sudden onset of confusion. Which of the following actions is priority?
- A. Infuse a hypotonic solution.
- B. Increase the rate of the dialysis.
- C. Administer an antiemetic medication.
- D. Stop the dialysis solution.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The patient's symptoms suggest disequilibrium syndrome, which is a rare complication of modern HD and develops as a result of very rapid changes in the composition of the extracellular fluid. Urea, sodium, and other solutes are removed more rapidly from the blood than from the cerebrospinal fluid and the brain. This creates a high osmotic gradient in the brain resulting in the shift of fluid into the brain, causing cerebral edema. Manifestations include nausea, vomiting, confusion, restlessness, headaches, twitching and jerking, and seizures. Treatment consists of slowing or stopping dialysis and infusing hypertonic saline solution, albumin, or mannitol to draw fluid from the brain cells back into the systemic circulation.
After noting lengthening QRS intervals in a patient with acute kidney injury (AKI), which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
- A. Document the QRS interval.
- B. Notify the patient's health care provider.
- C. Look at the patient's current blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels.
- D. Check the patient's most recent blood potassium level.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The increasing QRS interval is suggestive of hyperkalemia, so the nurse should check the most recent potassium and then notify the patient's health care provider. The BUN and creatinine will be elevated in a patient with AKI, but they would not directly affect the electrocardiogram (ECG). Documentation of the QRS interval also is appropriate, but interventions to decrease the potassium level are needed to prevent life-threatening bradycardia.
Which of the following assessments should the nurse complete before administering sodium polystyrene sulphonate to a patient with hyperkalemia?
- A. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine
- B. Blood glucose level
- C. Patient's bowel sounds
- D. Level of consciousness (LOC)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Sodium polystyrene sulphonate should not be given to a patient who does not have normal bowel function because bowel necrosis can occur. The BUN and creatinine, blood glucose, and LOC would not affect the nurse's decision to give the medication.
The nurse is caring for a patient in the oliguric phase of acute renal failure who has a 24-hour fluid output of 150 mL emesis and 250 mL urine. Which of the following amounts in mL should the nurse plan a fluid replacement for the following day?
- A. 400
- B. 800
- C. 1000
- D. 1400
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Usually fluid replacement should be based on the patient's measured output plus 600 mL/day for insensible losses.