A young boy is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of new onset type I diabetes mellitus. As the registered nurse prepares to administer insulin, the child's mother asks why he can't just "take a pill. Which response, by the nurse, explains the rationale for an injection of insulin?

A. Diminished serum albumin levels cause water to shift from blood to tissue: In cirrhosis, liver dysfunction leads to decreased production of albumin, a protein that helps maintain oncotic pressure. Low albumin levels cause fluid to shift from the vascular space into the tissues, resulting in ascites and peripheral edema.

B. Portal hypotension causes a fluid shift from the abdominal cavity into the portal veins: Portal hypertension, not hypotension, is a common feature of cirrhosis, but it leads to ascites by increasing pressure in the portal venous system, not by shifting fluid into the portal veins.

C. Hypoaldosteronism causes a fluid volume deficit: shifting water from blood into tissue: Cirrhosis often leads to hyperaldosteronism, not hypoaldosteronism, resulting in sodium and water retention, which contributes to edema.

D. Aberrations of the portal system cause a back-up of blood that leads to hydronephrosis: Hydronephrosis is related to obstruction of the urinary tract, not a complication of portal hypertension or cirrhosis.

A. Positive Brudzinski's sign: A positive Brudzinski's sign, which involves involuntary flexion of the hips and knees when the neck is flexed, is a common finding in meningitis (both viral and bacterial).

B. Dysarthria and double vision: These symptoms are not typical of viral meningitis; they are more often associated with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis.

C. Petechiae and purpura: These are more commonly associated with bacterial meningitis, particularly meningococcal meningitis, rather than viral meningitis.

D. Positive Babinski's reflex: A positive Babinski’s reflex indicates an upper motor neuron lesion and is not specific to meningitis.