A patient calls the clinic to report a new onset of severe diarrhea. What should the nurse anticipate that the patient will need to do?
Collect a stool specimen.
Have blood cultures drawn.
Prepare for colonoscopy.
Schedule a barium enema.
The Correct Answer is A
The nurse should anticipate that the patient will need to collect a stool specimen. Diarrhea can be caused by various factors such as infections, inflammatory bowel disease, food intolerance, and medication side effects. Collecting a stool specimen can help identify the underlying cause of the diarrhea and guide appropriate treatment. Blood cultures, colonoscopy but barium enema may be necessary in certain cases but are not typically the first step in the diagnostic process for diarrhea.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
The most helpful finding by the nurse in determining whether a 67-yr-old patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia has an upper urinary tract infection (pyelonephritis) would be
**costovertebral tenderness**⁴. This is because costovertebral tenderness is a common symptom of pyelonephritis⁵. Pyelonephritis is an infection of the upper urinary tract that can cause fever, chills, flank pain, nausea, vomiting, and costovertebral tenderness⁵. Foul-smelling urine and bladder distention are not specific symptoms of pyelonephritis⁵. Suprapubic discomfort can be a symptom of lower urinary tract infection⁵.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Prochlorperazine is an antiemetic medication that is commonly used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by various conditions, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Giving the medication before the dressing changes, can prevent or minimize the onset of nausea and vomiting, which can be triggered by the pain and anxiety associated with the procedure.
Option B, keeping the patient NPO (nothing by mouth) for 2 hours before dressing changes, may be helpful in reducing the risk of aspiration if the patient needs sedation or general anesthesia for the procedure. However, it is not directly related to reducing the patient's nausea.
Option C, avoiding performing dressing changes close to the patient's mealtimes, may help reduce the risk of nausea caused by an overly full stomach, but it is not directly related to reducing the patient's nausea during the procedure.
Option D, administering prescribed morphine sulfate before dressing changes, may help reduce the patient's pain during the procedure, but it may also increase the risk of nausea and vomiting as a side effect. Therefore, this option may not be the most useful in decreasing the patient's nausea.
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