When conventional routes of analgesia have been unsuccessful or are contraindicated for chronic pain syndromes, intrathecal drug delivery systems may be considered. Appropriate indications are likely to include:
- A. Patients with cancer-related pain in whom life expectancy is estimated to be >3 months.
- B. Chronic pancreatitis.
- C. Haematuria loin pain syndrome.
- D. Chronic low back pain.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDS) treat severe, refractory pain. Cancer pain with >3 months life expectancy justifies IDDS, balancing implantation risks with prolonged benefit shorter expectancy favors simpler methods. Chronic pancreatitis may respond, but evidence is weaker; it's not a primary indication. Haematuria loin pain syndrome (loin pain haematuria syndrome) is niche, rarely managed with IDDS due to limited data. Chronic low back pain often fails conservative treatment, but IDDS is reserved for extreme cases (e.g., failed back surgery syndrome), not routine. Chronic refractory angina is cardiac, not typically IDDS-eligible. Cancer pain's prevalence, severity, and responsiveness to intrathecal opioids/ziconotide make it the clearest indication, optimizing quality of life in palliative care.
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The nursing instructor explains the difference between normal cells and benign tumor cells. What information does the instructor provide about these cells?
- A. Benign tumors grow through invasion of other tissue.
- B. Benign tumors have lost their cellular regulation from contact inhibition.
- C. Growing in the wrong place or time is typical of benign tumors.
- D. The loss of characteristics of the parent cells is called anaplasia.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Benign tumors are fundamentally different from malignant tumors in their behavior and characteristics. Unlike malignant tumors, which invade surrounding tissues, benign tumors do not grow through invasion but rather through hyperplasia, a controlled increase in cell number. They retain contact inhibition, a regulatory mechanism where normal cells stop dividing when they touch each other, preventing uncontrolled growth. The defining feature of benign tumors is that they consist of cells that are essentially normal but are growing in an inappropriate location or at an incorrect time, such as a lipoma in fatty tissue. Anaplasia, on the other hand, refers to the loss of differentiation and is a hallmark of malignant cancer cells, not benign ones. Thus, the instructor would emphasize that benign tumors are misplaced normal cells, making this the accurate statement. This distinction is critical for nursing students to understand, as it impacts diagnosis, treatment decisions, and patient education regarding the non-threatening nature of benign tumors compared to cancerous growths.
Which action should the nurse take when caring for a patient who is receiving chemotherapy and complains of problems with concentration?
- A. Teach the patient to rest the brain by avoiding new activities.
- B. Teach that 'chemo-brain' is a short-term effect of chemotherapy.
- C. Report patient symptoms immediately to the health care provider.
- D. Suggest use of a daily planner and encourage adequate rest and sleep.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Chemo-brain foggy focus is common; planners and rest help manage, not cure. Resting fully stalls life; it's not always short-term can linger. No emergency it's expected. Nurses in oncology offer this tools and sleep ease the mental muck, supporting function.
The school nurse is teaching a nutrition class in the local high school. One student states that he has heard that certain foods can increase the incidence of cancer. The nurse responds, 'Research has shown that certain foods indeed appear to increase the risk of cancer.' Which of the following menu selections would be the best choice for potentially reducing the risks of cancer?
- A. Smoked salmon and green beans
- B. Pork chops and fried green tomatoes
- C. Baked apricot chicken and steamed broccoli
- D. Liver, onions, and steamed peas
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Diet plays a big role in cancer risk. Fruits and veggies, like apricots and broccoli, pack antioxidants (vitamins C, E, carotenoids) that combat oxidative stress and inflammation key cancer drivers. Steaming preserves nutrients, unlike frying, which adds carcinogens (e.g., acrylamide in fried tomatoes). Smoked salmon's salt-curing introduces nitrates, linked to colorectal cancer. Pork chops, a red meat, carry heme iron and saturated fats, boosting risk when cooked at high heat. Liver's high in nutrients but also iron, which in excess may promote cancer. Baked apricot chicken with steamed broccoli sidesteps these pitfalls, offering fiber and phytochemicals that may inhibit tumor growth, making it the nurse's top pick for cancer-preventive eating in teens.
Which of the following options applies to the accumulation of macrophages in adipose tissue?
- A. This accumulation has been shown in mice but not in humans
- B. This accumulation is negatively correlated with the size of the adipose cells
- C. This accumulation cannot be influenced by weight reduction
- D. None of the options applies
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Macrophages swarm fat in humans big cells pull them, weight loss shrinks the crowd, not mouse-only or stuck. Nurses see this, a chronic inflammation truth.
A nurse is caring for a client who was received in the emergency department with a heart rate of 220 beats per minute. The client's cardiac monitor displays supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). Which of the following interventions should the nurse anticipate?
- A. Apply compression stockings
- B. Perform Valsalva maneuver
- C. Draw labs
- D. Check blood glucose
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: SVT's 220 bpm blitz needs breaking Valsalva maneuver, bearing down, jolts the vagus nerve, slowing rate, a first-line trick. Stockings aid veins, not rhythm. Labs or glucose inform, don't fix. Nurses anticipate this, calming tachycardia, a quick, non-invasive hit in this racing heart emergency.