When evaluating the lab work of a client in hepatic coma, which of the following lab tests is most important?
- A. blood urea nitrogen
- B. serum calcium
- C. serum ammonia
- D. serum creatinine
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: When a client is in hepatic coma due to liver failure, the liver cannot metabolize amino acids completely, leading to elevated ammonia levels. Increased ammonia can cause brain-tissue irritation, worsening the coma. Therefore, monitoring serum ammonia levels is crucial in assessing the severity of hepatic coma. Choices A, B, and D are less relevant in the context of hepatic coma. Blood urea nitrogen primarily assesses kidney function, serum calcium levels are not directly related to hepatic coma, and serum creatinine is more indicative of kidney function rather than liver function in this scenario.
You may also like to solve these questions
Which of the following indicates a hazard for a client on oxygen therapy?
- A. A 'No Smoking' sign is on the door.
- B. The client is wearing a synthetic gown.
- C. Electrical equipment is grounded.
- D. Matches are removed.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is that the client is wearing a synthetic gown. A synthetic gown might generate sparks of static electricity, which can be a fire hazard, especially in the presence of oxygen. Clients on oxygen therapy should wear cotton gowns to minimize the risk of fire. The other options are not hazards for a client on oxygen therapy: having a 'No Smoking' sign on the door promotes safety by preventing smoking, ensuring electrical equipment is grounded reduces the risk of electrical hazards, and removing matches decreases the risk of fire hazards.
All of the following tasks could be delegated to a nursing assistant or unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) except:
- A. monitoring intravenous infusion
- B. assisting a client to the bathroom
- C. offering fluid intake every 1-2 hours
- D. monitoring/recording the amount of fluid taken
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Monitoring an intravenous infusion involves assessing for complications, adjusting the flow rate, and monitoring the client's response, which requires the knowledge and skills of a licensed nurse (RN or LPN). Tasks that can be delegated to nursing assistants or unlicensed assistive personnel include assisting a client to the bathroom, offering fluids, and recording fluid intake. These activities are within the scope of practice for UAPs as they do not involve the specialized knowledge and training needed for intravenous infusion monitoring.
When assessing a client's risk for elimination impairment, which of the following factors is least relevant?
- A. current medications
- B. ambulation abilities
- C. family history
- D. hydration status
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: When assessing a client's risk for elimination impairment, family history is the least relevant factor to consider. Current medications can affect elimination functions through side effects, ambulation abilities can impact mobility to access toileting facilities, and hydration status directly influences urinary output and bowel function. Family history, although providing some context, does not have a direct impact on the client's current risk of elimination impairment.
Ethics committees typically do not handle which of the following issues?
- A. Nonpayment of bills.
- B. Euthanasia.
- C. Starting or stopping treatment.
- D. Use of feeding tubes.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Ethics committees primarily focus on addressing ethical dilemmas in healthcare. Issues like euthanasia, decisions regarding starting or stopping treatment, and the use of feeding tubes for nutritional support involve complex ethical considerations related to patient care and end-of-life decisions, which are commonly deliberated by ethics committees. However, nonpayment of bills is a financial matter and falls outside the typical scope of ethics committees' functions.
When a 17-year-old client arrives at the clinic suspecting a sexually transmitted infection, what information does the nurse provide concerning informed consent?
- A. She will need to sign an informed consent form.
- B. Her mother or father will need to be contacted for permission to treat her.
- C. A consent form is not needed if the problem is a sexually transmitted infection.
- D. Anyone over the age of 18 years may sign a consent form for her treatment.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Informed consent is a person's agreement to allow something, such as a treatment, to be performed. A consent form is required even if the problem is a sexually transmitted infection. If the client is a minor, the minor may sign the informed consent form in specific situations, including seeking treatment for a sexually transmitted infection. In this case, the 17-year-old client is seeking examination and treatment for a sexually transmitted infection, so she will need to sign the informed consent form. Contacting her parents for permission is not required in this situation. Choice C is incorrect because a consent form is necessary regardless of the medical issue. Choice D is incorrect because the individual's age is not the determining factor; rather, it is the nature of the medical service being sought that dictates the need for informed consent.
Nokea