Nursing Elites

1. A client with a history of gastric ulcer suddenly complains of a sharp-severe pain in the mid epigastric area, which then spreads over the entire abdomen. The client’s abdomen is rigid and board-like to palpation, and the client obtains most comfort from lying in the knee-chest position. The nurse calls the physician immediately suspecting that the client is experiencing which of the following complications of peptic ulcer disease?

• A. Perforation
• B. Obstruction
• C. Hemorrhage
• D. Intractability

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The signs and symptoms described in the question are consistent with perforation of the ulcer, which then progresses to peritonitis if the perforation is large enough. The client with intestinal obstruction most likely would complain of abdominal pain, distension, and nausea and vomiting. The client with hemorrhage would be vomiting blood or coffee-ground-like material or would be expelling black, tarry, or bloody stools. Intractability is a term that refers to continued symptoms of a disease process, despite ongoing medical treatment.

2. After a subtotal gastrectomy, the nurse should anticipate that nasogastric tube drainage will be what color for about 12 to 24 hours after surgery?

• A. Dark brown
• B. Bile green
• C. Bright red
• D. Cloudy white

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Dark brown drainage is expected for about 12 to 24 hours after surgery.

3. Your patient recently had abdominal surgery and tells you that he feels a popping sensation in his incision during a coughing spell, followed by severe pain. You anticipate an evisceration. Which supplies should you take to his room?

• A. A suture kit.
• B. Sterile water and a suture kit.
• C. Sterile water and sterile dressings.
• D. Sterile saline solution and sterile dressings.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: For a suspected evisceration, sterile saline solution and sterile dressings should be taken to the patient's room to cover the wound and keep it moist.

4. A client with a peptic ulcer is scheduled for a vagotomy. The client asks the nurse about the purpose of this procedure. The nurse tells the client that the procedure:

• A. Decreases food absorption in the stomach
• B. Heals the gastric mucosa
• C. Halts stress reactions
• D. Reduces the stimulus to acid secretions

Correct answer: D

Rationale: A vagotomy reduces the stimulus to acid secretions by cutting the vagus nerve, which innervates the stomach.

5. The nurse is evaluating the plan of care for a client with peptic ulcer disease with a nursing diagnosis of Acute Pain. The nurse would determine that the client has not met the expected outcomes if the client states

• A. That pain is relieved with histamine H2 receptor antagonists.
• B. That irritating foods have been eliminated from the diet.
• C. The client is being awakened at 2 AM with heartburn.
• D. The client has absence of pain before meals.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Expected outcomes for the client with peptic ulcer disease experiencing pain include elimination of irritating foods from the diet, ability to take prescribed medications that will reduce pain, reporting that the pain is relieved or prevented with medication, and an ability to sleep through the night without pain. The client who continues to be awakened by pain requires further modification of medication therapy, which may include adjustment of timing of histamine H2 receptor antagonist or an additional dose of antacid before the time when pain awakens the client.

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