While reading a physician’s note, a student learns the patient is having hypoxia. Which abnormal patient assessments would a student expect to find with hypoxia?
Dyspnea, tachycardia, cyanosis
Diarrhea, flatulence, decreased skin turgor
Hypotension, reddened skin, edema
Abdominal pain, hyperthermia, dry skin
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: Hypoxia, low tissue oxygen, causes dyspnea (shortness of breath) due to impaired gas exchange, tachycardia as the heart compensates to deliver oxygen, and cyanosis from deoxygenated hemoglobin. These reflect the body’s response to oxygen deficiency, requiring urgent intervention, per respiratory and cardiovascular physiology.
Choice B reason: Diarrhea, flatulence, and decreased skin turgor suggest gastrointestinal or dehydration issues, not hypoxia. Hypoxia affects oxygenation, not digestion or hydration status. These symptoms are unrelated to impaired oxygen delivery, making this choice incorrect for hypoxia’s physiological impact, per systemic assessment principles.
Choice C reason: Hypotension, reddened skin, and edema may indicate circulatory or inflammatory conditions, not hypoxia. Hypoxia causes cyanosis, not reddened skin, and tachycardia, not hypotension. These findings do not align with hypoxia’s effect on oxygenation and tissue perfusion, per clinical assessment guidelines.
Choice D reason: Abdominal pain, hyperthermia, and dry skin suggest infection or dehydration, not hypoxia. Hypoxia manifests as respiratory and circulatory symptoms like dyspnea and cyanosis, not abdominal or thermal dysregulation. These symptoms are irrelevant to oxygen deficiency, per hypoxia’s pathophysiological mechanisms.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Hemoglobin of 11.3 g/dL is low but not specific to malnutrition, as it may indicate anemia from various causes, like iron deficiency or chronic disease. Malnutrition affects protein levels more directly. This value requires further investigation but does not confirm malnutrition, as it reflects red blood cell status, per hematological assessment.
Choice B reason: Creatinine of 1.9 mg/dL suggests renal impairment, as it exceeds normal ranges (0.6-1.2 mg/dL), reflecting reduced kidney filtration. Malnutrition typically lowers creatinine due to muscle wasting, not elevates it. This value indicates kidney dysfunction, not nutritional status, making it irrelevant to malnutrition assessment, per renal physiology.
Choice C reason: Hematocrit of 56% indicates hemoconcentration, often from dehydration, not malnutrition. Malnutrition may cause anemia, lowering hematocrit. Elevated hematocrit reflects increased red blood cell proportion, unrelated to protein-energy deficits. This finding does not align with malnutrition’s impact on nutritional biomarkers, per laboratory diagnostic standards.
Choice D reason: Serum albumin of 2.8 g/dL (normal 3.5-5.0 g/dL) indicates malnutrition, as low levels reflect reduced protein synthesis due to inadequate dietary intake. Albumin is a sensitive marker of chronic nutritional status, decreasing in protein-energy malnutrition. This finding directly correlates with malnutrition’s physiological impact, per nutritional assessment guidelines.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Setting mutual goals is important but premature without assessing the patient’s knowledge. Goals depend on understanding gaps, which are identified through assessment. Without this, goals may be irrelevant, reducing teaching effectiveness, per patient education and learning theory principles.
Choice B reason: Teaching what the patient wants to know assumes prior assessment of their needs and knowledge of their baseline. Without assessing existing knowledge, the nurse risks delivering redundant or irrelevant information, decreasing engagement and retention, per adult learning and education strategies.
Choice C reason: Assessing the patient’s current knowledge of hypertension is the first, as it establishes a baseline understanding, identifying gaps and misconceptions. This guides tailored education, ensuring relevance and effectiveness, enhancing patient engagement, and adherence to management, per patient-centered education and health literacy principles.
Choice D reason: Evaluating outcomes follows education, not precedes it. Assessment of knowledge is needed first to inform teaching. Evaluation without teaching is illogical, as there are no interventions to assess, making this step irrelevant at the start, per educational process and nursing teaching frameworks.
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