Nursing Elites

1. The client with a new colostomy is concerned about the odor from stool from the ostomy drainage bag. The nurse teaches the client to include which of the following foods in the diet to reduce odor?

• A. Yogurt
• B. Broccoli
• C. Cucumbers
• D. Eggs

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The client should be taught to include deodorizing foods in the diet, such as beet greens, parsley, buttermilk, and yogurt. Spinach also reduces odor but is a gas-forming food as well. Broccoli, cucumber, and eggs are gas-forming foods.

2. Kevin has a history of peptic ulcer disease and vomits coffee-ground emesis. What does this indicate?

• A. He has fresh, active upper GI bleeding.
• B. He needs immediate saline gastric lavage.
• C. His gastric bleeding occurred 2 hours earlier.
• D. He needs a transfusion of packed RBCs.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Coffee-ground emesis is a sign of upper gastrointestinal bleeding that occurred approximately 2 hours earlier. It results from the breakdown of blood in the stomach due to digestive enzymes, giving it a coffee-ground appearance. Choice A is incorrect because coffee-ground emesis indicates older, partially digested blood, not fresh active bleeding. Choice B is incorrect as gastric lavage is not indicated for coffee-ground emesis. Choice D is incorrect because a transfusion of packed RBCs is not the immediate management for this presentation.

3. When obtaining a nursing history on a client with a suspected gastric ulcer, which signs and symptoms would the nurse expect to see? Select ONE that does not apply.

• A. Epigastric pain at night
• B. Relief of epigastric pain after eating
• C. Vomiting
• D. Weight loss

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Signs and symptoms of a gastric ulcer include epigastric pain at night, vomiting, and weight loss. Relief of epigastric pain after eating is not typically associated with gastric ulcers.

4. Which of the following activities should the nurse encourage the client with a peptic ulcer to avoid?

• A. Chewing gum.
• B. Smoking cigarettes.
• C. Eating chocolate.
• D. Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Cigarette smoking should be avoided because of its stimulatory effect on gastric secretions. Nicotine also increases the release of epinephrine, which leads to vasoconstriction. The client may chew gum if desired. The client may eat chocolate if desired. A client with a peptic ulcer should check with the physician before taking any over-the-counter drug, but acetaminophen does not typically cause gastric irritation.

5. 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.

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