The nurse is caring for a client scheduled for a bilateral adrenalectomy for treatment of an adrenal tumor. What information should the nurse give the client about the post-surgical needs?

Choice A reason: Older adults commonly experience a decline in short-term memory as part of the normal aging process. This can make it more difficult to recall recent events or information.

Choice B reason: Older adults typically have decreased, not increased, reflexes due to changes in the nervous system.

Choice C reason: Older adults often experience a decline in fine motor movement, rather than an increase. Age-related changes can affect dexterity and coordination.

Choice D reason: Long-term memory is generally preserved longer in older adults compared to short-term memory. Older adults are more likely to have difficulties with recent memories.

Choice A reason: Consuming a high purine diet is not related to myasthenic crisis. High purine diets are more commonly associated with conditions like gout, where uric acid levels become elevated.

Choice B reason: Taking too much of their medication can lead to a cholinergic crisis, not a myasthenic crisis. A cholinergic crisis occurs due to excessive accumulation of acetylcholine, often from overmedication with anticholinesterase drugs.

Choice C reason: Taking too little of the prescribed medication is the primary precipitating factor for a myasthenic crisis. Inadequate levels of medication lead to insufficient acetylcholine at neuromuscular junctions, causing severe muscle weakness and potentially life-threatening respiratory failure. This situation requires immediate medical intervention to stabilize the patient.

Choice D reason: Taking medication on an empty stomach may affect absorption rates, but it is not a direct precipitating factor for a myasthenic crisis. The crisis is more closely linked to under-medication or missed doses of anticholinesterase drugs.