Gastrointestinal NCLEX Related

Review Gastrointestinal NCLEX related questions and content

The nurse is taking a hospital admission history for the 40-year-old client. The nurse is concerned about possible acute pancreatitis when the client makes which statement?

  • A. “I have sudden-onset intense pain in my upper left abdomen that goes to my back.”
  • B. “I had persistent lower abdominal pain that now shifted to the lower right quadrant.”
  • C. “My stools are loose and bloody, and I have cramping abdominal pain with spasms.”
  • D. “I have this mild pain in my upper abdomen, but I have been vomiting forcefully a lot.”
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: A. The predominant symptom of acute pancreatitis is severe, deep or piercing, continuous or steady abdominal pain in the upper left quadrant. The pain may radiate to the back because of the retroperitoneal location of the pancreas. Middle-aged individuals are at increased risk for developing acute pancreatitis. B. Abdominal pain located mainly in the right lower quadrant may be a symptom of appendicitis (not pancreatitis). Appendicitis is more common in younger adults. C. Bloody diarrhea and colicky abdominal pain are symptoms of IBD, also more common in young adults. D. Upper abdominal pain and projectile vomiting are symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction or another GI disorder and not pancreatitis.