ATI RN
Gastrointestinal System Nursing Exam Questions
1. A client with ulcerative colitis is diagnosed with a mild case of the disease. The nurse doing dietary teaching gives the client examples of foods to eat that represent which of the following therapeutic diets?
- A. High-fat with milk
- B. High-protein without milk
- C. Low-roughage without milk
- D. Low-roughage with milk
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The client with a mild case of ulcerative colitis is often advised to follow a diet low in roughage and avoid milk. This dietary approach helps reduce the frequency of diarrhea in these clients. Therefore, the correct therapeutic diet for the client with ulcerative colitis in this scenario is a low-roughage diet without milk. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because high-fat, high-protein, and low-roughage with milk diets are not typically recommended for clients with ulcerative colitis, especially those with mild cases.
2. A nurse is monitoring a client admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of appendicitis. The client is scheduled for surgery in 2 hours. The client begins to complain of increased abdominal pain and begins to vomit. On assessment the nurse notes that the abdomen is distended and the bowel sounds are diminished. Which of the following is the most appropriate nursing intervention?
- A. Administer dilaudid
- B. Notify the physician
- C. Call and ask the operating room team to perform the surgery as soon as possible
- D. Reposition the client and apply a heating pad on a warm setting to the client’s abdomen.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The symptoms suggest possible perforation or peritonitis, which are serious complications requiring immediate medical attention. The nurse should promptly notify the physician.
3. When a client has peptic ulcer disease, the nurse would expect a priority intervention to be:
- A. Assisting in inserting a Miller-Abbott tube
- B. Assisting in inserting an arterial pressure line
- C. Inserting a nasogastric tube
- D. Inserting an I.V.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Inserting a nasogastric tube is a priority intervention for a client with peptic ulcer disease to decompress the stomach.
4. An enema is prescribed for a client with suspected appendicitis. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
- A. Prepare 750 ml of irrigating solution warmed to 100*F
- B. Question the physician about the order
- C. Provide privacy and explain the procedure to the client
- D. Assist the client to left lateral Sim’s position
Correct answer: B
Rationale: An enema is contraindicated in clients with suspected appendicitis because it can increase the risk of perforation. It is important to verify the appropriateness of this order with the physician.
5. Which of the following techniques would the nurse use first to determine if a nasogastric tube is positioned in the stomach?
- A. Aspirating with a syringe and observing for the return of gastric contents.
- B. Irrigating with normal saline and observing for the return of solution.
- C. Placing the tube's free end in water and observing for air bubbles.
- D. Instilling air and auscultating over the epigastric area for the presence of the tube.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The initial way to determine if a nasogastric tube is in the stomach is to apply suction to the tube with a syringe and observe for the return of stomach contents. Then the pH of the aspirate can be measured. This is the method of choice. One would not irrigate until tube placement is confirmed. Observing for air bubbles when the free end of the tube is placed under water is an unacceptable, unsafe method of determining tube placement. Another method is to instill air into the tube with a syringe while auscultating over the epigastric area. Hearing the air enter the stomach helps ensure proper placement, but the method is not foolproof and is no longer considered an effective or preferred way to determine placement.
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