A nurse administers 200 mL of enteral nutrition via a client’s gastrostomy (GT) tube. The nurse flushes the feed bolus with 30 mL of water before and after the feed. How many mL does the nurse document as intake in the I&O?

(Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)

Choice A Reason:

Restlessness is often one of the earliest signs of hypoxia. When the body experiences low oxygen levels, the brain is one of the first organs to be affected. This can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, and restlessness as the brain struggles to function properly without adequate oxygen. These symptoms occur because the body is trying to compensate for the lack of oxygen by increasing respiratory and heart rates, which can make a person feel uneasy or restless.

Choice B Reason:

Cyanosis refers to a bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to low oxygen levels in the blood. While cyanosis is a significant indicator of hypoxia, it is typically a later sign. By the time cyanosis is visible, hypoxia has usually been present for some time, and oxygen levels have been critically low. Therefore, it is not the earliest clinical manifestation of hypoxia.

Choice C Reason:

Apnea is the absence of breathing. This is a severe and late sign of hypoxia. When a person stops breathing, it indicates that the body has been deprived of oxygen for an extended period, leading to critical conditions. Apnea is a medical emergency and requires immediate intervention, but it is not an early sign of hypoxia.

Choice D Reason:

Bradycardia is a slower than normal heart rate. Like apnea, bradycardia is a late sign of hypoxia. Initially, the body responds to low oxygen levels by increasing the heart rate (tachycardia) to pump more oxygenated blood to tissues. Bradycardia occurs when the body can no longer compensate, and the heart rate slows down, indicating severe hypoxia and impending failure of the cardiovascular system.

Choice A Reason:

When calculating the fluid balance for a client undergoing continuous bladder irrigation (CBI), the irrigation solution must be deducted from the total urine output. This is because the irrigation fluid is not part of the client’s actual urine production but is an additional fluid introduced into the bladder to prevent or remove blood clots and ensure catheter patency. By deducting the irrigation solution from the total urine output, the nurse can accurately determine the client’s true urine output and fluid balance.

Choice B Reason:

Subtracting the irrigation solution from the intravenous flow sheet as output is incorrect. The intravenous flow sheet is used to document fluids administered intravenously, not those introduced into the bladder. Therefore, this choice does not apply to the management of continuous bladder irrigation.

Choice C Reason:

Documenting the intake hourly in the urine output column is also incorrect. The urine output column should reflect the actual urine produced by the client, not the irrigation solution. Including the irrigation solution in this column would lead to an inaccurate representation of the client’s urine output and fluid balance.

Choice D Reason:

Adding the irrigation solution to the oral intake column is incorrect as well. The oral intake column is designated for fluids consumed orally by the client. The irrigation solution is introduced directly into the bladder and should not be recorded as oral intake.