A patient with Parkinson Disease is experiencing weight loss due to difficulty chewing and swallowing. Which meal option below is the best for this patient?
Grilled cheese with apple slices
Tacos with refried beans
Scrambled eggs with a side of cottage cheese
Baked chicken with bacon slices
The Correct Answer is C
Rationale:
A. While the grilled cheese is soft, the apple slices require significant chewing, increasing the risk of choking or aspiration. Patients with Parkinson’s disease often have oropharyngeal dysphagia, making hard, crunchy foods unsafe.
B. Tacos, especially with a shell or tortilla, require complex chewing and strong jaw coordination. Even soft tortillas can be difficult to manage for someone with impaired chewing and swallowing. Refried beans are soft, but the taco itself makes the meal inappropriate.
C. Both scrambled eggs and cottage cheese are soft, high-protein, easy-to-chew and easy-to-swallow foods, making them ideal for patients with dysphagia related to Parkinson’s disease. Soft, moist foods reduce aspiration risk and promote adequate nutrition in patients with impaired chewing, tongue control, and slowed swallowing reflex.
D. Baked chicken is often dry and difficult to chew, and bacon is tough or crispy, both of which significantly increase aspiration risk. These foods require effective mastication, which is impaired in Parkinson’s disease.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["21"]
Explanation
Step 1: Convert time to minutes
8 hr × 60 min/hr = 480 min
Step 2: Use the formula
Flow rate (gtt/min) = (Volume × Drop factor) ÷ Time in minutes
Flow rate = (1,000 × 10) ÷ 480
Flow rate = 10,000 ÷ 480 ≈ 20.83
Step 3: Round to the nearest whole number
Flow rate ≈ 21 gtt/min
Final Answer: 21 gtt/min
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Rationale:
A. Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptoms of MS. Heat intolerance is frequent because elevated body temperature slows nerve conduction in demyelinated neurons, increasing fatigue and other MS symptoms. Resting in a cool environment helps the patient conserve energy, prevent exacerbation of symptoms, and maintain functional independence. Incorporating scheduled rest periods is a cornerstone of fatigue management in MS.
B. Planned short naps (20–30 minutes) can improve energy levels and cognitive function in patients with MS. Forbidding naps can lead to increased daytime sleepiness, decreased alertness, and overall worsening of fatigue, which negatively affects quality of life. Fatigue management focuses on energy conservation, not restricting rest.
C. Heat exposure can temporarily worsen MS symptoms through Uhthoff’s phenomenon, including fatigue, blurred vision, weakness, and numbness. Hot baths or showers may increase core body temperature, leading to transient worsening of fatigue and other neurologic symptoms. Cool or lukewarm water is generally recommended instead.
D. Cyclobenzaprine is a centrally acting muscle relaxant used to relieve skeletal muscle spasms. It does not address fatigue in MS and can cause sedation, dizziness, or lethargy, which may actually worsen fatigue. Fatigue management in MS relies on energy conservation strategies, activity pacing, and environmental modifications, not pharmacologic muscle relaxants.
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