Chapter 39: Management of Patients with Oral and Esophageal Disorders

To prevent gastroesophageal reflux in a client with hiatal hernia, the nurse should provide which discharge instruction?

"Avoid coffee and alcoholic beverages."

The nurse is conducting a health instruction program on oral cancer. The nurse determines that the participants understand the instructions when they state

"Many oral cancers produce no symptoms in the early stages."

Which tube is a nasoenteric feeding tube?

Dobbhoff

The nurse inserts a nasogastric tube into the right nares of a patient. When testing the tube aspirate for pH to confirm placement, what does the nurse anticipate the pH will be if placement is in the lungs?

6

The nurse is caring for a client receiving enteral nutrition with a standard polymeric formula. For which reason will the nurse question using this formula for the client?

Diagnosed with malabsorption syndrome

The nurse is caring for a patient who has dumping syndrome from high-carbohydrate foods being administered over a period of fewer than 20 minutes. What is a nursing measure to prevent or minimize the dumping syndrome?

Administer the feeding with the patient in semi-Fowler's position to decrease the effect of gravity on transit time.

The nurse is inserting a nasogastric tube for a patient with pancreatitis. What intervention can the nurse provide to allow facilitation of the tube insertion?

Allow the patient to sip water as the tube is being inserted.

A nurse is providing health promotion education to a client diagnosed with an esophageal reflux disorder. What practice should the nurse encourage the client to implement?

Avoid carbonated drinks.

The client has the intake and output shown in the accompanying chart for an 8-hour shift. What is the positive fluid balance?

260

A client who had a hemiglossectomy earlier in the day is assessed postoperatively, revealing a patent airway, stable vital signs, and no bleeding or drainage from the operative site. The nurse notes the client is alert. What is the client's priority need at this time?

An effective means of communicating with the nurse

A nurse is completing an assessment on a client with a postoperative neck dissection. The nurse notices excessive bleeding from the dressing site and suspects possible carotid artery rupture. What action should the nurse take first?

Apply pressure to the bleeding site

A client in the emergency department reports that a piece of meat became stuck in the throat while eating. The nurse notes the client is anxious with respirations at 30 breaths/min, frequent swallowing, and little saliva in the mouth. An esophagogastroscopy with removal of foreign body is scheduled for today. What would be the first activity performed by the nurse?

Assess lung sounds bilaterally.

A client with achalasia recently underwent pneumatic dilation. The nurse intervenes after the procedure by

Assessing lung sounds

The nurse is caring for a client with a history of bulimia. The client complains of retrosternal pain and dysphagia after forcibly causing herself to vomit after a large meal. The nurse suspects which condition?

Boerhaave syndrome

A client has been receiving radiation therapy to the lungs and now has erythema, edema, and pain of the mouth. What instruction will the nurse give to the client?

Brush and floss daily.

Which term describes a reddened, circumscribed lesion that ulcerates and becomes crusted and is a primary lesion of syphilis?

Chancre

A nurse is caring for a client with a long-term central venous catheter. Which care principle is correct?

Clean the port with an alcohol pad before administering I.V. fluid through the catheter.

A client's new onset of dysphagia has required insertion of an NG tube for feeding. What intervention should the nurse include in the client's plan of care?

Confirm placement of the tube prior to each scheduled feeding.

An older adult client seeks medical attention for a report of general difficulty swallowing. Which assessment finding is most significant as related to this symptom?

Esophageal tumor

The following appears on the medical record of a male patient receiving parenteral nutrition:WBC: 6500/cu mmPotassium 4.3 mEq/LMagnesium 2.0 mg/dLCalcium 8.8 mg/dLGlucose 190 mg/dL Which finding would alert the nurse to a problem?

Glucose level

Residual content is checked before each intermittent tube feeding. The patient would be reassessed if the residual, on two occasions, was:

Greater than 200 mL.

A patient is receiving parenteral nutrition. The current solution is nearing completion, and a new solution is to be hung, but it has not arrived from the pharmacy. Which action by the nurse would be most appropriate?

Hang a solution of dextrose 10% and water until the new solution is available.

The nurse is managing the care of a client needing gastrointestinal suction and decompression with a Levin tube. Place the steps of initiating suction and decompression in the order the nurse should perform them.

Locate the suction source. Select suction according to health care provider prescription. Insert the gastric decompression tube. Connect the decompression tube to the suction.

A client recovering from gastric bypass surgery accidentally removed the nasogastric tube. What is the best action by the nurse?

Notify the surgeon about the tubes removal

A client has been taking a 10-day course of antibiotics for pneumonia. The client has been having white patches that look like milk curds in the mouth. What treatment will the nurse educate the client about?

Nystatin

An elderly client comes into the emergency department reporting an earache. The client and has an oral temperature of 37.9° (100.2ºF) and otoscopic assessment of the ear reveals a pearly gray tympanic membrane with no evidence of discharge or inflammation. Which action should the triage nurse take next?

Palpate the client's parotid glands to detect swelling and tenderness.

The nurse is preparing to assess the donor site of a client who underwent a myocutaneous flap after a radical neck dissection. The nurse prepares to assess the most commonly used muscle for this surgery. Which muscle should the nurse assess?

Pectoralis major

A client with a disorder of the oral cavity cannot tolerate tooth brushing or flossing. Which strategy should the nurse use to assist the client?

Provide the client with an irrigating solution of baking soda and warm water.

The nurse confirms placement of a client's nasogastric (NG) tube using a combination of visual and pH assessment of the aspirate. The nurse determines that the NG tube remains properly placed when the pH of the aspirate is

acidic

The nurse collaborates with the physician and dietician to determine the best type of tube feeding for a client at risk for diarrhea due to hypertonic feeding solutions. Which type of feedings should the nurse suggest?

continuous feedings

A nurse providing care to a patient who is receiving nasogastric tube feedings finds that the tube is clogged. Which of the following is no longer considered appropriate to use to unclog the tube?

cranberry juice

A client who can't tolerate oral feedings begins receiving intermittent enteral feedings. When monitoring for evidence of intolerance to these feedings, what must the nurse remain alert for?

diaphoresis, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The most common symptom of esophageal disease is

dysphagia.

The client is on a continuous tube feeding. The nurse determines the tube placement should be checked every

shift.

The nurse is preparing to check for tube placement in the client's stomach as well as measure the residual volume. What is the main purpose of these nursing actions?

Prevent aspiration

Which of the following is the most common type of diverticulum?

Zenker's diverticulum

A client has been receiving intermittent tube feedings for several days at home. The nurse notes the findings as shown in the accompanying documentation. The nurse reports the following as an adverse reaction to the tube feeding:

Fasting blood glucose level

The nurse is to discontinue a nasogastric tube that had been used for decompression. What is the first action the nurse should take?

Flush with 10 mL of water.

Postoperatively, a client with a radical neck dissection should be placed in which position?

Fowler

A nurse is providing care for a client with a diagnosis of late-stage Alzheimer disease. The client has just returned to the medical unit to begin supplemental feedings through an NG tube. Which of the nurse's assessments addresses this client's most significant potential complication of feeding?

Frequent lung auscultation

A client is receiving enteral therapy following gastric surgery. To maintain fluid balance and minimize any gastrointestinal symptoms such as cramping, diarrhea, and/or nausea, the nurse should follow appropriate enteral therapy protocols.

Increase the rate of enteral fluids. - not indicated Administer fluids at room temperature. - fluid balance/ gastrointestinal Administer bolus feeding. - not indicated Maintain semi-Fowler position during and following feeding for at least 1 hour. - fluid balance/ gastrointestinal Monitor water intake used to flush tubing. - fluid balance/ gastrointestinal Monitor bowel sounds. - gastrointestinal Monitor daily weights. - fluid balacne

A client is being evaluated for esophageal cancer. What initial manifestation of esophageal cancer should the nurse assess?

Increasing difficulty in swallowing

A client has a radical neck dissection to treat cancer of the neck. The nurse develops the care plan and includes all the following diagnoses. The nurse identifies the highest priority diagnosis as

Ineffective airway clearance related to obstruction by mucus

A client with an esophageal stricture is about to undergo esophageal dilatation. As the bougies are passed down the esophagus, the nurse should instruct the client to do which action to minimize the vomiting urge?

Take long, slow breaths

A client who reports increasing difficulty swallowing, weight loss, and fatigue is diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Because this client has difficulty swallowing, what should the nurse assign highest priority to?

Maintaining a patent airway

A client is receiving continuous tube feedings at 75 mL/h. When the nurse checked the residual volume 4 hours ago, it was 250 mL, and now the residual volume is 325 mL. What is the priority action by the nurse?

Notify the healthcare provider

The client has returned to the floor following a radical neck dissection. Anesthesia has worn off. What is the nurse's priority action?

Place the client in the Fowler's position

The nurse's comprehensive assessment of a client includes inspection for signs of oral cancer. What assessment finding is most characteristic of oral cancer in its early stages?

Presence of a painless sore with raised edges

The nurse observes dry mucous membranes in a client who is receiving tube feedings after an oral surgery. The client also reports unpleasant tastes and odors. Which measure should be included in the client's plan of care?

Provide frequent mouth care.

When a central venous catheter dressing becomes moist or loose, what should a nurse do first?

Remove the dressing, clean the site, and apply a new dressing.

The nurse notes that the client has inflammation if the salivary glands. The nurse documents which finding?

Sailadenitis

An older adult patient who has been living at home alone is diagnosed with parotitis. What causative bacteria does the nurse suspect is the cause of the parotitis?

Staphylococcus aureus

A nurse is assessing a client receiving tube feedings and suspects dumping syndrome. What would lead the nurse to suspect this? Select all that apply.

Tachycardia Diaphoresis Diarrhea

The nurse is inserting a Levin tube for a patient for gastric decompression. The tube should be inserted to 6 to 10 cm beyond what length?

The distance measured from the tip of the nose to the earlobe and from the earlobe to the xiphoid process

The nurse is inserting a nasogastric tube and the patient begins coughing and is unable to speak. What does the nurse suspect has occurred?

The nurse has inadvertently inserted the tube into the trachea.

A client has a new order for me to loperamide. What extrapyramidal side effect Should the nurse assess for in the client?

Uncontrolled rhythmic movements of the face or limbs

A client with a nasogastric tube set to low intermittent suction is receiving D51/2NS at 100 mL/hr. The nurse has identified a nursing diagnosis of deficient fluid volume. Which of the following are data that support this diagnosis? Select all that apply.

Urine output that decreased from 60 to 40 mL/hr Heart rate that increased from 82 to 98 beats/min within 2 hours Fluid output of 2150 mL and total fluid intake of 2000 mL for the past 24 hours

Which of the following assessment findings would be most important for indicating dumping syndrome in a postgastrectomy client?

Weakness, diaphoresis, diarrhea 90 minutes after eating

A client receiving tube feedings to the duodenum develops nausea, cramping, and diarrhea. For which condition should the nurse plan care for this client?

dumping syndrome

The nurse is obtaining a history on a patient who comes to the clinic. What symptom described by the patient is one of the first symptoms associated with esophageal disease?

dysphagia

The nurse assesses a patient who recently had a nasoenteric intubation. Symptoms of oliguria, lethargy, and tachycardia in the patient would indicate to the nurse what common complication?

fluid volume deficit

The nurse provides health teaching to inform the client with oral cancer that

many oral cancers produce no symptoms in the early stages.

The most significant complication related to continuous tube feedings is

the increased potential for aspiration

A client who had oral cancer has had extensive surgery to excise the malignancy. Although surgery was deemed successful, it was quite disfiguring and incapacitating. What is essential to this client and family

time to mourn, accept, and adjust to the loss