The nurse is conducting an assessment on a client who is 36 hours postoperative following an appendectomy. During the assessment, the nurse is unable to hear any bowel sounds. The client denies passing flatus (gas). Given this information, which action is most appropriate by the nurse?
Encouraging the client to increase intake of foods that contain high fat to increase GI motility.
Encouraging the client to increase solid food intake to promote peristalsis.
Encouraging the client to increase intake of foods that contain fiber.
Withholding food and oral fluids until intestinal mobility has returned.
The Correct Answer is D
Withholding food and oral fluids until intestinal mobility has returned. This is because the client may have postoperative ileus (POI), which is a reduction of gastrointestinal motility after abdominal surgery. POI is characterized by abdominal distension, lack of bowel sounds, accumulation of gas and fluids in the bowel, and delayed passage of flatus and stools.
Giving food and fluids to a client with POI may worsen the condition and cause complications.
Choice A is wrong because high fat foods may slow down GI motility and increase the risk of constipation.
Choice B is wrong because solid food intake may also aggravate POI and cause abdominal discomfort.
Choice C is wrong because fiber intake may increase gas production and distension in the bowel. The nurse should auscultate the abdomen for bowel sounds, and if they are present, or the client reports passing flatus, clear fluids can commence, and aperients can be administered. However, bowel sounds are not a reliable indicator of the end of POI, as they may not be associated with the time of first flatus.
Therefore, withholding food and oral fluids until intestinal mobility has returned is the most appropriate action by the nurse.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
This helps increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and corrects anemia.
Choice B is wrong because erythropoietin is not given to all people with anemia. It is only used for certain types of anemia, such as those caused by chronic kidney disease or chemotherapy.
Choice C is wrong because erythropoietin is not given for iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is treated with iron supplements and dietary changes.
Choice D is wrong because erythropoietin does not stimulate bone marrow production of white blood cells. White blood cells are involved in immune responses and are produced by different growth factors.
Question 22.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
This is because the nurse had a legal obligation to turn the client every two hours as ordered, and by failing to do so, they did not exercise reasonable care that could foreseeably prevent harm to the client. This is an example of negligence, which requires four elements: duty, breach, injury and causation.
Choice B is wrong because criminality refers to the violation of criminal laws, such as theft or assault, which are not applicable in this case.
Choice C is wrong because scope of practice refers to the range of activities that a health care professional is authorized to perform based on their education, training and certification.
The nurse’s failure to turn the client does not relate to their scope of practice. Choice D is wrong because false imprisonment refers to the unlawful restraint of a person’s freedom of movement, such as locking them in a room or restraining them against their will.
The nurse’s failure to turn the client does not involve any such restraint.
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