Which condition would the nurse suspect in a patient recovering from the removal of a brain tumor with an increase in urinary output to 450 ml of very light urine in the past hour?

Choice A reason: Difficulty speaking post-carotid artery angioplasty suggests a neurological complication, possibly stroke, requiring immediate intervention. This aligns with post-procedure neurological assessment priorities, making it the most concerning finding for the nurse to address urgently in the patient’s care.

Choice B reason: Fine crackles at lung bases may indicate fluid overload but are less urgent than speech difficulty, which suggests stroke. Neurological complications take precedence, making this secondary and incorrect compared to the nurse’s priority of addressing potential cerebral events post-procedure.

Choice C reason: A pulse of 102 beats/min is mildly elevated but less critical than speech difficulty, which may indicate a neurological event. Stroke risk is the primary concern, making this less urgent and incorrect compared to the nurse’s focus on neurological assessment post-angioplasty.

Choice D reason: Blood pressure of 144/86 mm Hg is elevated but within acceptable post-procedure ranges. Speech difficulty suggests a neurological issue, making this less concerning and incorrect compared to the nurse’s priority of evaluating potential stroke in the patient post-angioplasty.

Choice A reason: Acromegaly involves growth hormone excess, causing skeletal changes, not high urinary output. Diabetes insipidus causes dilute urine due to ADH deficiency, making this incorrect, as it does not explain the patient’s post-brain tumor surgery urinary symptoms observed by the nurse.

Choice B reason: SIADH causes water retention and low urine output, not high dilute urine. Diabetes insipidus explains the 450 ml light urine, making this incorrect, as it contradicts the fluid dynamics seen in the patient post-brain tumor removal surgery.

Choice C reason: Hypopituitarism may reduce ADH but typically causes broader hormonal deficiencies, not solely high dilute urine. Diabetes insipidus is more specific, making this incorrect, as it does not directly account for the patient’s acute urinary output post-brain tumor surgery.

Choice D reason: Diabetes insipidus, often post-brain surgery, causes high output of dilute urine due to ADH deficiency. This aligns with neurological post-operative complications, making it the correct condition the nurse would suspect in the patient with 450 ml light urine hourly.