ATI RN
Gastrointestinal System Nursing Exam Questions
1. The nurse is caring for a client who underwent a subtotal gastrectomy. To manage dumping syndrome, the nurse should advise the client to:
- A. restrict fluid intake to 1 qt (1,000 ml)/day.
- B. drink liquids only with meals.
- C. don't drink liquids 2 hours before meals.
- D. drink liquids only between meals.
Correct answer: D
Rationale: A client who experiences dumping syndrome after a subtotal gastrectomy should be advised to ingest liquids between meals rather than with meals. Taking fluids between meals allows for adequate hydration, reduces the amount of bulk ingested with meals, and aids in preventing rapid gastric emptying. There is no need to restrict the amount of fluids, just the time when the client drinks fluids. Drinking liquids with meals increases the risk of dumping syndrome by increasing the amount of bulk and stimulating rapid gastric emptying. Small amounts of water are allowable before meals.
2. A client is admitted with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Which of the following symptoms should the nurse expect the client to report when responding to questions about his bowel elimination pattern?
- A. Constipation.
- B. Bloody, diarrheal stools.
- C. Steatorrhea.
- D. Alternating periods of constipation and diarrhea.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Diarrhea is the primary symptom of ulcerative colitis. It is profuse and severe; the client may pass as many as 15 to 20 watery stools per day. Stools may contain blood, mucus, and pus. The frequent diarrhea is often accompanied by anorexia and nausea. Constipation is not a sign or symptom of ulcerative colitis. Steatorrhea (fatty stools) is more typical of pancreatitis and cholecystitis. Alternating diarrhea and constipation is associated with irritable bowel syndrome.
3. The nurse is performing a colostomy irrigation on a client. During the irrigation, a client begins to complain of abdominal cramps. Which of the following is the most appropriate nursing action?
- A. Notify the physician
- B. Increase the height of the irrigation
- C. Stop the irrigation temporarily.
- D. Medicate with dilaudid and resume the irrigation
Correct answer: C
Rationale: If a client experiences abdominal cramps during a colostomy irrigation, it is appropriate to stop the irrigation temporarily to allow the cramps to subside.
4. A client is admitted to the hospital after vomiting bright red blood and is diagnosed with a bleeding duodenal ulcer. The client develops a sudden, sharp pain in the midepigastric area along with a rigid, boardlike abdomen. These clinical manifestations most likely indicate which of the following?
- A. An intestinal obstruction has developed
- B. Additional ulcers have developed
- C. The esophagus has become inflamed
- D. The ulcer has perforated
Correct answer: D
Rationale: A sudden, sharp pain in the midepigastric area along with a rigid, boardlike abdomen indicates that the ulcer has perforated.
5. 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.
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