What nursing intervention enhances the nutritional status of a patient with COPD?
Offer small frequent meals
Encourage extra liquids with meals
Assist the patient to exercise before meals
Supply information about nutrition
The Correct Answer is A
A. Offer small frequent meals
Offering small, frequent meals is beneficial for patients with COPD because it helps overcome the challenges associated with dyspnea and fatigue. Large meals can cause discomfort and increase the effort required for breathing, which can exacerbate respiratory symptoms. By providing smaller, more manageable portions of food throughout the day, patients with COPD can maintain their energy levels and meet their nutritional needs without experiencing excessive respiratory distress.
B. Encourage extra liquids with meals
Encouraging extra liquids with meals can help prevent dehydration and thin respiratory secretions, making it easier for patients with COPD to manage their respiratory symptoms. However, excessive fluid intake can also lead to feelings of fullness and discomfort, especially in patients with compromised lung function. Therefore, while it's important to encourage adequate hydration, particularly during meals, it's also essential to balance fluid intake to avoid exacerbating respiratory symptoms.
C. Assist the patient to exercise before meals
While regular exercise is beneficial for overall health and can help improve respiratory function in patients with COPD, exercising immediately before meals may not be practical or advisable for all patients. Patients with COPD may experience fatigue and dyspnea during physical activity, which can affect their ability to eat and digest food effectively. Additionally, exercising before meals may increase energy expenditure and exacerbate respiratory symptoms, making it more challenging for patients to consume an adequate amount of nutrients. Instead, patients with COPD may benefit from engaging in light physical activity or respiratory exercises at a different time of day to improve their respiratory function and overall well-being.
D. Supply information about nutrition
Providing information about nutrition is essential for patients with COPD to help them make healthy dietary choices and manage their condition effectively. However, simply supplying information may not be sufficient to enhance the nutritional status of patients with COPD. It's important to offer practical guidance and support, such as meal planning tips, dietary modifications, and strategies for overcoming barriers to healthy eating. Additionally, individualized dietary counseling from a registered dietitian can be beneficial for patients with COPD to address specific nutritional needs and preferences.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Instruct the client to use a pursed-lip breathing technique.
Pursed-lip breathing is a technique commonly used to help relieve dyspnea, particularly in individuals with COPD. This technique involves breathing in through the nose and exhaling slowly through pursed lips, which helps to prolong exhalation, reduce airway collapse, and improve oxygen exchange. While pursed-lip breathing can be beneficial, it should not be the priority action when the client reports difficulty breathing. Before initiating any breathing techniques, the nurse should first assess the client's respiratory status to determine the severity of the breathing difficulty and whether additional interventions are necessary.
B. Evaluate the client's respiratory status.
This is the correct priority action in this scenario. When a client with COPD reports difficulty breathing, the nurse's first step should be to thoroughly assess the client's respiratory status. This assessment involves evaluating respiratory rate, depth, effort, oxygen saturation levels, auscultating lung sounds, and assessing for signs of respiratory distress. By conducting a comprehensive assessment, the nurse can determine the severity of the client's symptoms, identify any potential exacerbating factors or complications, and make informed decisions regarding appropriate interventions.
C. Increase the oxygen flow to 3 L/min.
While increasing the oxygen flow may be a consideration if the client's oxygen saturation is low, it should not be the immediate priority without first assessing the client's respiratory status. Increasing oxygen flow without proper assessment could potentially worsen hypercapnia in some COPD patients and may not address the underlying cause of the client's difficulty breathing. Therefore, this action should be based on assessment findings rather than being the initial response.
D. Have the client cough and expectorate secretions.
Coughing and expectorating secretions can be helpful in clearing the airways and improving breathing in individuals with COPD, especially if secretions are contributing to the difficulty breathing. However, similar to the pursed-lip breathing technique, this action should not be the priority without first assessing the client's respiratory status. The nurse should determine whether secretions are indeed present and causing the difficulty breathing before instructing the client to cough and expectorate. Therefore, this option should follow a thorough respiratory assessment.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. 1 day after injection with a 10-mm area of redness and swelling:
This may suggest a positive reading, but induration size is the primary criterion for interpretation, not just redness and swelling.
B. 2 days after injection with a 5-mm area of redness and swelling:
Similar to option A, a 5-mm area of redness and swelling alone does not definitively indicate a positive TB skin test. Again, without information on the size of the induration, we cannot determine if this reading is positive.
C. 4 days after injection with a 3-mm area of redness and swelling:
Once more, a 3-mm area of redness and swelling alone does not definitively indicate a positive TB skin test. As with the previous options, the size of the induration is the critical factor for interpretation.
D. 5 days after injection with a 2-mm area of redness and swelling:
As with the other options, a 2-mm area of redness and swelling alone does not definitively indicate a positive TB skin test. The presence and size of induration are essential for accurate interpretation.
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