During a nutritional assessment, why is it important for the nurse to ask a patient what medications he or she is taking?

Medications need to be documented in the record for the physician's review.

The nurse needs to assess the patient for allergic reactions.

Certain drugs can affect the metabolism of nutrients.

Medications can affect one's memory and ability to identify food eaten in the last 24 hours.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

Choice A rationale

While documenting medications is important for the physician's review, this is not the primary nutritional assessment reason for asking about medications. The focus here is on how medications interact with nutritional status.

Choice B rationale

Assessing for allergic reactions to medications is crucial for patient safety, but it is a separate aspect of medication history and not directly related to the metabolism of nutrients during a nutritional assessment.

Choice C rationale

Certain medications can significantly interfere with the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of various nutrients. For example, some drugs can increase nutrient excretion, decrease appetite, or alter the body's ability to utilize vitamins and minerals, directly impacting nutritional status.

Choice D rationale

While some medications can affect memory and thus the accuracy of a 24-hour food recall, the more direct and critical reason for asking about medications during a nutritional assessment is to identify potential drug-nutrient interactions that affect metabolism.

Nursing Test Bank

Quiz #1: RN Exams Pharmacology Exams Quiz #2: RN Exams Medical-Surgical Exams Quiz #3: RN Exams Fundamentals Exams Quiz #4: RN Exams Maternal-Newborn Exams Quiz #5: RN Exams Anatomy and Physiology Exams Quiz #6: RN Exams Obstetrics and Pediatrics Exams Quiz #7: RN Exams Fluid and Electrolytes Exams Quiz #8: RN Exams Community Health Exams Quiz #9: RN Exams Promoting Health across the lifespan Exams Quiz #10: RN Exams Multidimensional care Exams

Get 100+ Naxlex Exit Exams for $79 Try Naxlex NCLEX-RN (14 Day Free-Trial)

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Quiz #1: Naxlex RN Comprehensive online practice 2019 B with NGN Quiz #2: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Quiz #3: Naxlex RN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 Exit Exam A Quiz #4: Naxlex HESI Exit LPN Exam Quiz #5: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor PN 2020 Quiz #6: Naxlex VATI PN Comprehensive Predictor 2020 Quiz #8: Naxlex PN Comprehensive Predictor 2023 - Exam 1 Quiz #10: Naxlex HESI PN Exit exam Quiz #11: Naxlex HESI PN EXIT Exam 2

Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is ["A","D"]

Explanation

Choice A rationale

Vanilla pudding is often restricted in dysphagia diets due to its smooth, slippery texture, which can be difficult to control in the oral cavity and increases the risk of aspiration into the airway. Individuals with dysphagia may have impaired swallowing mechanisms, making thin, liquid-like consistencies particularly hazardous.

Choice B rationale

Cranberry juice is a thin liquid and poses a significant aspiration risk for a patient with dysphagia. Thin liquids are difficult to manage in the mouth and throat, increasing the likelihood of the liquid entering the trachea instead of the esophagus. Patients with swallowing difficulties often require thickened liquids to improve bolus control.

Choice C rationale

Beef broth is a clear liquid and, similar to cranberry juice, presents a high risk of aspiration for a patient with dysphagia. Its thin consistency makes it challenging for individuals with impaired swallowing to control its movement, potentially leading to it entering the airway and causing respiratory complications.

Choice D rationale

Orange gelatin, while seemingly semi-solid, often melts into a thin liquid in the mouth due to body temperature. This change in consistency makes it difficult to control and increases the risk of aspiration in patients with dysphagia. Gelatin's slippery texture further compounds this risk.

A. 1 minute. B. 2 minutes in each quadrant. C. 5 minutes. D. 10 minutes.

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A rationale

Listening for bowel sounds for only 1 minute in one area is insufficient to determine their presence or absence accurately. Bowel motility and thus bowel sounds can be intermittent, and listening for a brief period might miss infrequent sounds. A more extended auscultation is necessary to assess bowel activity adequately.

Choice B rationale

Listening for 2 minutes in each quadrant totals 8 minutes of auscultation, which is more comprehensive than 1 minute. However, bowel sounds can still be sporadic. A longer duration of listening in at least one quadrant where sounds might be present is needed before concluding they are absent.

Choice C rationale

Auscultating for bowel sounds for a total of 5 minutes (not necessarily 5 minutes in each quadrant, but listening attentively in different areas for a cumulative of 5 minutes) is the generally accepted minimum duration to confidently declare bowel sounds absent, termed "silent bowel sounds.”. This extended listening time increases the likelihood of detecting any intermittent bowel activity.

Choice D rationale

Listening for 10 minutes is even more thorough, but if no bowel sounds are heard after a continuous and attentive 5-minute auscultation, it is generally considered clinically significant for absent bowel sounds. Prolonged auscultation beyond 5 minutes is usually not necessary unless there are specific clinical indications.

View Question and Answer

Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.

Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today

During a nutritional assessment, why is it important for the nurse to ask a patient what medications he or she is taking?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Which of the following items on the tray should the nurse remove?

Correct Answer is ["A","D"]

Explanation

During an abdominal assessment, the nurse is unable to hear bowel sounds in a patient's abdomen.Before reporting this finding as silent bowel sounds, the nurse should listen for at least:

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

The nurse is caring for a client who has a bowel obstruction and a new prescription for the insertion of a nasogastric tube.Which of the following interventions should the nurse take when inserting the nasogastric tube?

A client with a nasogastric tube has an order for the tube to be removed.As the nurse removes the tube, the client should be asked to:

A 65-year-old patient remarks that she just can't believe that her breasts "sag so much.”. She states it must be from a lack of exercise.What explanation would the nurse offer her?

The MD orders insulin lispro 17 units subcutaneous. The medication is supplied in 100 units/mL. How many mL will the nurse administer?

A nurse is contributing to the plan of care of a client who is in a long-term care facility.To improve the client's nutritional status, which of the following nursing interventions should the nurse recommend adding to the plan? Provide soft foods.

A nurse positions a patient for the insertion of a nasogastric (NGT) tube by:

A provider prescribes a sublingual medication for a client who has an nasogastric (NG) tube in place.Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A nurse is reinforcing teaching with an older adult client who is on bed rest about foods high in dietary fiber.Which of the following food items should the nurse indicate is the best source of fiber?