Which outcome indicates that treatment of a client with diabetes insipidus has been effective?
Fluid intake is less than 2,500 ml/day
Heart rate is 126 beats/minute
Blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg
Urine output measures more than 200 ml/hour
The Correct Answer is A
Reasoning:
Choice A reason: Effective treatment of diabetes insipidus, typically with desmopressin, restores ADH function, reducing excessive urine output and thirst. Fluid intake below 2,500 ml/day indicates improved water reabsorption in the kidneys, normalizing fluid balance and reducing polyuria, which is a key sign of successful management of this condition.
Choice B reason: A heart rate of 126 beats/minute indicates tachycardia, often a sign of dehydration or hypovolemia in untreated diabetes insipidus. Effective treatment should normalize heart rate by correcting fluid balance, so persistent tachycardia suggests ongoing fluid loss and ineffective treatment, not a successful therapeutic outcome.
Choice C reason: Blood pressure of 90/50 mm Hg indicates hypotension, which can result from severe dehydration in untreated diabetes insipidus. Effective treatment should stabilize blood pressure by restoring fluid volume through improved water reabsorption, making low blood pressure an indicator of poor treatment response rather than success.
Choice D reason: Urine output exceeding 200 ml/hour reflects polyuria, a primary symptom of untreated diabetes insipidus due to ADH deficiency. Effective treatment reduces urine output by enhancing renal water reabsorption, so high urine output indicates persistent disease activity, not a successful response to therapy.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
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Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Reasoning:
Choice A reason: Diabetes insipidus is likely due to the client’s symptoms of polyuria, thirst, and weight loss following a head injury. Trauma can disrupt the posterior pituitary, reducing ADH secretion, leading to excessive dilute urine output, dehydration, and subsequent thirst and weight loss from fluid depletion, consistent with central DI.
Choice B reason: A pituitary tumor may cause diabetes insipidus but is not the condition itself. Tumors can disrupt ADH production, but the symptoms described—polyuria, thirst, and weight loss—point directly to diabetes insipidus as the primary condition, with a tumor being a potential underlying cause requiring further investigation.
Choice C reason: Hypothyroidism, caused by thyroid hormone deficiency, leads to symptoms like fatigue and weight gain, not polyuria or weight loss. It is unrelated to head injury or ADH dysfunction, making it an unlikely diagnosis for the client’s symptoms of excessive urine output and dehydration.
Choice D reason: SIADH causes water retention, leading to concentrated urine, hyponatremia, and potential weight gain, opposite to the client’s symptoms of dilute urine, weight loss, and thirst. Head injury may cause SIADH, but the clinical presentation aligns with diabetes insipidus, not water retention.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Reasoning:
Choice A reason: Confusion may occur in SIADH due to hyponatremia-induced cerebral edema, but diarrhea is not a typical sign of fluid overload. Diarrhea causes fluid loss, which is opposite to the water retention seen in SIADH, making this combination less indicative of fluid overload compared to cardiovascular or respiratory signs.
Choice B reason: Hypertension may occur in SIADH due to fluid overload, but weight gain without edema is less specific. SIADH often causes subtle fluid retention without overt edema, but weight gain alone does not fully indicate fluid overload, as it lacks the respiratory or cardiovascular specificity of dyspnea and hypertension.
Choice C reason: Pulmonary congestion may indicate fluid overload in SIADH, as excess water can lead to pulmonary edema. However, muscle cramps are more related to hyponatremia than fluid overload itself. This combination is less precise than dyspnea and hypertension for identifying fluid overload in this context.
Choice D reason: Dyspnea and hypertension are key indicators of fluid overload in SIADH. Excessive ADH causes water retention, increasing blood volume, which raises blood pressure. Fluid accumulation in the lungs can cause dyspnea, reflecting pulmonary edema, a serious complication of fluid overload in SIADH, making this the most accurate finding.
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