Your patient has increased intracranial pressure due to a tumor, causing vasogenic edema. Which of the following drugs would you expect to be ordered to treat this specific process?
corticosteroids
mannitol
furosemide
Iv fluids
The Correct Answer is A
A. Corticosteroids is correct because vasogenic edema results from increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier, often associated with tumors, abscesses, or inflammation. Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone, stabilize the blood-brain barrier, reduce capillary permeability, and help decrease edema around the tumor, thereby lowering intracranial pressure (ICP).
B. Mannitol is incorrect because while it is an osmotic diuretic that reduces ICP, it is more effective for cytotoxic or general cerebral edema, not specifically for vasogenic edema caused by a tumor. Mannitol works by creating an osmotic gradient that draws fluid from the brain into the bloodstream.
C. Furosemide is incorrect because it is a loop diuretic that reduces fluid volume systemically and can lower ICP indirectly, but it does not target the underlying mechanism of vasogenic edema. It is not the drug of choice for tumor-related edema.
D. IV fluids is incorrect because administering IV fluids does not treat edema and may even exacerbate cerebral swelling if not carefully managed. Fluid management focuses on maintaining adequate perfusion without worsening ICP, but IV fluids are not a treatment for vasogenic edema.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. That the patient will be alert and oriented is incorrect because a GCS of 8 indicates severe impairment of consciousness, not alertness. Patients who are alert and oriented typically have a GCS of 13–15.
B. The patient will be comatose is correct because a GCS score of 8 or lessis generally considered coma or severe brain injury. This indicates significant neurological impairment, and the patient is likely unable to respond appropriately to verbal or painful stimuli. Immediate interventions often focus on airway protection, stabilization, and rapid neurological assessment.
C. The patient will likely have a UTI is incorrect because a urinary tract infection is not related to the GCS score. While a UTI can cause confusion in older adults, it does not directly correlate with a GCS of 8 in trauma or acute neurological events.
D. That the patient will be vomiting is incorrect because vomiting may occur in patients with elevated intracranial pressure or head trauma, but it is not a defining feature of a GCS of 8. The key concern is level of consciousnessand neurological status.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Dribbling of urine is incorrect because this symptom is associated with postrenal causes of acute kidney injury, such as bladder outlet obstruction or urethral stricture. Postrenal AKI occurs when urine cannot exit the urinary tract properly, leading to backpressure on the kidneys. Prerenal AKI, in contrast, is caused by reduced kidney perfusion, not obstruction.
B. Vomiting and diarrhea for 3 days is correct because prolonged fluid loss leads to hypovolemia, which reduces circulating blood volume and renal perfusion. The kidneys rely on adequate blood flow to maintain glomerular filtration rate (GFR). When perfusion is decreased, the kidneys attempt to compensate by activating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, but sustained hypoperfusion can lead to prerenal AKI. This type of AKI is potentially reversible if perfusion is restored promptly, making early recognition and fluid replacement critical. Conditions that commonly cause prerenal AKI include dehydration, hemorrhage, sepsis, heart failure, or severe fluid losses like vomiting and diarrhea.
C. Difficulty starting urine stream is incorrect because this symptom indicates a postrenal obstruction, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or urethral stricture. In postrenal AKI, urine flow is blocked after it leaves the kidneys, causing backpressure and impaired renal function. This is different from prerenal AKI, where the problem originates beforethe kidneys due to reduced blood flow.
D. History of kidney stones is incorrect because kidney stones can lead to intermittent obstruction of urine flow, resulting in postrenal AKI. While kidney stones can compromise renal function if causing obstruction, they do not directly decrease renal perfusion and therefore are not a risk factor for prerenal AKI.
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