Nokea
The nurse is instructing a client about taking corticosteroid therapy for adrenal insufficiency. What statement made by the client indicates a need for further instruction?
- A. I will take the corticosteroid medication until my adrenal glands begin to work.'
- B. I will not omit any of the doses of my medication.'
- C. I will seek medical attention for dosage readjustments whenever I am under stress.'
- D. I will get plenty of rest and avoid exposure to infection.'
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse should explain adrenal insufficiency and the importance of lifetime corticosteroid replacement. The other statements indicate that the client is educated about medication administration.
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A client sustained a head injury when falling from a ladder. While in the hospital, the client begins voiding large amounts of clear urine and reports being very thirsty. The client states feeling weak and having experienced an 8 pound weight loss since admission. What condition does the nurse expect the client to be tested for?
- A. Diabetes insipidus (DI)
- B. Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)
- C. Pituitary tumor
- D. Hypothyroidism
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: With diabetes insipidus, urine output may be as high as 20 L/24 hours. Urine is dilute, with a specific gravity of 1.002 or less. Limiting fluid intake does not control urine excretion. Thirst is excessive and constant. Activities are limited by the frequent need to drink and void. Weakness, dehydration, and weight loss develop. SIADH will have the opposite clinical manifestations. The client's symptoms are related to the trauma and not to a pituitary tumor. The thyroid gland does not cause these symptoms.
A client has been diagnosed with myxedema from long-standing hypothyroidism. What clinical manifestation(s) of this disorder does the nurse recognize is progressing to myxedema coma? Select all that apply.
- A. Hypothermia
- B. Hypertension
- C. Hypotension
- D. Hypoventilation
- E. Hyperventilation
Correct Answer: A,C,D
Rationale: Severe hypothyroidism is called myxedema. Advanced, untreated myxedema can progress to myxedema coma. Signs of this life-threatening event are hypothermia, hypotension, and hypoventilation. Hypertension and hyperventilation indicate increased metabolic responses, which are the opposite of what the client would be experiencing.
The nurse is caring for a client with hypoparathyroidism. When the nurse taps the client's facial nerve, the client's mouth twitches and the jaw tightens. What is this response documented as related to the low calcium levels?
- A. Positive Chvostek sign
- B. Positive Trousseau sign
- C. Positive paresthesia
- D. Positive Babinski sign
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: If a nurse taps the client's facial nerve (which lies under the tissue in front of the ear), the client's mouth twitches and the jaw tightens. The response is identified as a positive Chvostek sign. A positive Trousseau sign is elicited by placing a BP cuff on the upper arm, inflating it between the systolic and diastolic BP, and waiting 3 minutes. The nurse observes the client for spasm of the hand (carpopedal spasm), which is evidenced by the hand flexing inward. Positive Babinski sign is elicited by stroking the sole of the foot. Paresthesia is not a symptom that can be elicited; it is felt by the client.
The nurse is administering a medication to a client with hyperthyroidism to block the production of thyroid hormone. The client is not a candidate for surgical intervention at this time. What medication should the nurse administer to the client?
- A. Levothyroxine
- B. Spironolactone
- C. Propylthiouracil
- D. Propranolol
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Antithyroid drugs, such as propylthiouracil and methimazole, are given to block the production of thyroid hormone preoperatively or for long-term treatment for clients who are not candidates for surgery or radiation treatment. Levothyroxine would increase the level of thyroid and be contraindicated in this client. Spironolactone is a diuretic and does not have the action of blocking production of thyroid hormone, and neither does propranolol, which is a beta-blocker.
A client is suspected of having acromegaly. What definitive diagnostic testing is the most reliable method of confirming acromegaly?
- A. A serum glucose level
- B. Glucose tolerance test in combination with a GH measurement
- C. Growth hormone levels
- D. Bone radiographs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A glucose tolerance test in combination with a GH measurement is the most reliable method of confirming acromegaly. Ingestion of a bolus of glucose should lower GH levels, but GH levels remain elevated in persons with acromegaly. Increased blood levels of IGF-1 can also indicate acromegaly in nonpregnant women, they typically have IGF-1 levels two to three times higher than normal in pregnant women. A serum glucose level is not an indicator of acromegaly. Growth hormone levels and bone radiographs may support the diagnosis but are not reliable indicators.