A client’s family member asks the nurse why disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) occurs. Which statement by the nurse correctly explains the cause of DIC?

Reasoning:

Choice A reason: Homonymous hemianopsia causes loss of half the visual field, affecting object recognition due to visual impairment, not cognitive processing. The client’s need to inspect clothing to identify it suggests a sensory processing deficit, not a visual field loss, making agnosia more likely.

Choice B reason: Receptive aphasia impairs language comprehension, affecting the ability to understand spoken or written words, not object recognition. The client’s ability to identify clothing by inspection, not language, points to a sensory processing issue, ruling out aphasia as the primary impairment.

Choice C reason: Hemiplegia, or paralysis of one side, affects movement, not object recognition. The client’s difficulty identifying clothing is cognitive, not motor, as they can manipulate items but need visual inspection to understand them, indicating agnosia rather than a physical impairment like hemiplegia.

Choice D reason: Agnosia, a post-stroke impairment, prevents recognition of objects despite intact sensory input. The client’s need to inspect clothing to identify it suggests visual agnosia, where the brain fails to process familiar objects, matching the described behavior and indicating a perceptual deficit from stroke.

Reasoning:

Choice A reason: Hyperthermia is not a primary risk in SIADH. This condition involves excessive ADH, leading to water retention and hyponatremia, not temperature dysregulation. Hyperthermia may occur in infections or neurological conditions, but it is not directly related to the fluid overload characteristic of SIADH pathophysiology.

Choice B reason: Peripheral neurovascular dysfunction is not a primary concern in SIADH. The condition causes water retention, leading to dilutional hyponatremia and potential cerebral edema, not vascular or nerve issues in the extremities. Peripheral dysfunction is more associated with conditions like diabetes mellitus or vascular disease.

Choice C reason: Ineffective airway clearance is not directly linked to SIADH. While severe hyponatremia could cause neurological symptoms like seizures, airway clearance issues are more typical in respiratory conditions. SIADH primarily affects fluid balance, leading to water overload, not mucus production or airway obstruction risks.

Choice D reason: Excess fluid volume is the primary risk in SIADH due to excessive ADH, which promotes water reabsorption in the kidneys, leading to fluid overload and dilutional hyponatremia. This can cause symptoms like edema, hypertension, and, in severe cases, cerebral edema, making it the most critical concern.