hepatic encephalopathy develops when the blood level of which substance increases
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Nursing Elites

ATI RN

ATI Gastrointestinal System Test

1. Hepatic encephalopathy develops when the blood level of which substance increases?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Hepatic encephalopathy develops when the blood level of ammonia increases.

2. Findings during an endoscopic exam include a cobblestone appearance of the colon in your patient. The findings are characteristic of which disorder?

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The cobblestone appearance of the colon is characteristic of Crohn’s disease.

3. You’re patient, post-op drainage of a pelvic abscess secondary to diverticulitis, begins to cough violently after drinking water. His wound has ruptured and a small segment of the bowel is protruding. What’s your priority?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: For a patient with a ruptured wound and protruding bowel, call the doctor while remaining with the patient, flex the patient’s knees, and cover the wound with sterile towels soaked in sterile saline solution.

4. The client being seen in a physician’s office has just been scheduled for a barium swallow the next day. The nurse writes down which of the following instructions for the client to follow before the test?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: A barium swallow is an x-ray study that uses a substance called barium for contrast to highlight abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract. The client should fast for 8 to 12 hours before the test, depending on physician instructions. Most oral medications also are withheld before the test. After the procedure the nurse must monitor for constipation, which can occur as a result of the presence of barium in the gastrointestinal tract.

5. The nurse is caring for a client admitted to the hospital with a suspected diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Which of the following laboratory results would the nurse expect to note if the client indeed has appendicitis?

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Laboratory findings do not establish the diagnosis of appendicitis, but often moderate elevation of the white blood cell count (leukocytosis) to 10,000 to 18,000 cells/mm3 occurs with a “shift to the left” (an increased number of immature white blood cells.).

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