A nurse is teaching a newly licensed nurse about reportable communicable diseases. Which of the following diseases should the nurse include in the teaching?

Rationale:

A. Loss of skin turgor: Loss of skin turgor is a sign of dehydration, not hypervolemia. Hypervolemia typically results in fluid retention, leading to other symptoms such as weight gain.

B. Weight gain: Weight gain is a common sign of hypervolemia due to the accumulation of excess fluid in the body. It is often one of the first indicators of fluid overload.

C. Hypotension: Hypotension is more commonly associated with hypovolemia (fluid deficit) rather than hypervolemia. In hypervolemia, blood pressure is more likely to increase due to the excess fluid volume.

D. Bradycardia: Bradycardia is not typically associated with hypervolemia. Hypervolemia can lead to tachycardia (increased heart rate) as the body tries to compensate for the excess fluid volume.

Rationale for Correct Choices:

• Upper GI bleed: The client’s symptoms, "coffee ground" emesis, red emesis, dizziness, and weakness, point to an upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed. The "coffee ground" emesis indicates partially digested blood, a typical finding in upper GI bleeds like peptic ulcers or gastritis.
• Place an NG tube and attach it to low suction: An NG tube with low suction helps to clear the stomach of blood and fluid, preventing aspiration and assisting in the management of the upper GI bleed.
• Test stools for occult blood: Occult blood testing of stools is essential to confirm gastrointestinal bleeding and assess the extent of the bleed. This is important in making further treatment decisions, including the need for blood transfusions or surgical intervention.
• Hemoglobin & haematocrit: Monitoring hemoglobin and hematocrit is critical in assessing the extent of blood loss and the development of anemia, which is common in cases of GI bleeding. This will help determine the need for blood products.
• Blood pressure: The client’s blood pressure (89/52 mmHg) indicates possible hypovolemia, a common consequence of GI bleeding. Close monitoring is essential to detect signs of shock or instability, guiding fluid resuscitation and further interventions.

Rationale for Incorrect Choices:

• Instruct client to keep a food diary: While useful in managing digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, a food diary is not relevant to managing or diagnosing an acute upper GI bleed.
• Recommend tepid sitz baths: Sitz baths are used for conditions like hemorrhoids or anal fissures but are not appropriate for managing an upper GI bleed.
• Initiate enteral feeding: Enteral feeding is not indicated in the acute phase of an upper GI bleed. The priority is to stabilize the patient and manage the bleeding before considering nutritional support.
• Irritable bowel syndrome: The client’s symptoms, including the coffee-ground emesis and red emesis, are more suggestive of an upper GI bleed than irritable bowel syndrome, which typically causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloating.
• Pancreatitis: Pancreatitis typically presents with severe epigastric pain radiating to the back, often associated with nausea and vomiting. While the client has nausea and vomiting, the bloody emesis ("coffee grounds," red emesis) is not a primary symptom of pancreatitis.
• Hemorrhoids: Hemorrhoids generally cause rectal bleeding, not upper GI bleeding, and are unlikely to explain the "coffee-ground" or red emesis observed in this client.
• Frequently recurring symptoms: This parameter is more relevant to chronic conditions rather than acute bleeding. The focus should be on stabilizing the client and assessing for immediate complications, rather than tracking recurring symptoms.
• Left lower quadrant abdominal pain: Left lower quadrant pain is more indicative of other lower GI issues, but it is not directly relevant to diagnosing or managing an upper GI bleed, where pain is more commonly described as epigastric or flank pain.
• Amylase and lipase levels: Amylase and lipase are used to assess pancreatic conditions like pancreatitis. They are not useful in diagnosing or monitoring an upper GI bleed, which involves blood loss from the stomach or duodenum, not pancreatic involvement.