Chapter 44: Introduction to the Gastrointestinal System and Accessory Structures
A female client has presented to the emergency department with right upper quadrant pain; the health care provider has ordered abdominal ultrasound to rule out cholecystitis. The client expresses concern to the nurse about the safety of this diagnostic procedure. How should the nurse best respond?
"Abdominal ultrasound poses no known safety risks of any kind." Explanation: An ultrasound produces no ill effects and there are not specific limits on its use, even during pregnancy
A client is having an upper endoscopy. Which medication(s) might the nurse provide during the procedure? Select all that apply.
Glucagon Atropine Midazolam Anesthetic spray
What part of the GI tract begins the digestion of food?
Mouth Explanation: Food that contains starch undergoes partial digestion in the mouth when it mixes with the enzyme salivary amylase, which the salivary glands secrete. Food that contains starch undergoes partial digestion in the mouth
A client who has been in a motor-vehicle collision is comatose and has developed ascites as a result of the accident. The nurse explains the condition to the client's family, and indicates that the primary function of the small intestine is to:
absorb nutrients Explanation: The primary function of the small intestine is to absorb nutrients from the chyme.
When bowel sounds are heard about every 15 seconds, the nurse would record that the bowel sounds are
normal. Explanation: Normal bowel sounds are heard every 5 to 20 seconds. Hypoactive bowel sound is the description given to auscultation of one to two bowel sounds in 2 minutes. Sluggish is not a term a nurse would use to accurately describe bowel sounds. The nurse records that bowel sounds are absent when no sound is heard in 3 to 5 minutes.
A client tells the nurse that the stool was colored yellow. The nurse assesses the client for
recent foods ingested.
The nurse inspects a client's tongue. Which finding would the nurse evaluate as an indication of potential oral cancer?
red plaque on undersurface of tongue
The client describes a test previously completed to detect a small bowel obstruction prior to admission to the hospital. The client states that the test involved insertion of a tube through the nose and lasted over 6 hours. The nurse determines which test name should be documented
upper GI enteroclysis Explanation: Enteroclysis is a double contrast study where a duodenal tube is inserted and 500 to 1000 mL of thin barium sulfate suspension and then methylcellulose is infused. Fluoroscopy is used to visualize the filling of the intestinal loops over a period of up to 6 hours. The test is used for detection of small bowel obstruction and diverticuli. Abdominal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography do not involve insertion of a duodenal tube.
A female client has presented to the emergency department with right upper quadrant pain; the health care provider has ordered abdominal ultrasound to rule out cholecystitis. The client expresses concern to the nurse about the safety of this diagnostic procedure. How should the nurse best respond?
"Abdominal ultrasound poses no known safety risks of any kind." Explanation: An ultrasound produces no ill effects and there are not specific limits on its use, even during pregnancy.
A home care nurse is caring for a client with reports of epigastric discomfort who is scheduled for a barium swallow. Which statement by the client indicates an understanding of the test?
"I'll avoid eating or drinking anything 6 to 8 hours before the test." Explanation: The client demonstrates understanding of a barium swallow when stating he or she must refrain from eating or drinking for 6 to 8 hours before the test. No other preparation is needed. Before a lower GI series, the client should eat a low-residue or clear liquid diet for 2 days and take a potent laxative and an oral liquid preparation
A home care nurse is caring for a client with reports of epigastric discomfort who is scheduled for a barium swallow. Which statement by the client indicates an understanding of the test
"I'll avoid eating or drinking anything 6 to 8 hours before the test." Explanation: The client demonstrates understanding of a barium swallow when stating he or she must refrain from eating or drinking for 6 to 8 hours before the test. No other preparation is needed. Before a lower GI series, the client should eat a low-residue or clear liquid diet for 2 days and take a potent laxative and an oral liquid preparation.
A client with a gastrointestinal condition asks why the mouth needs to be examined. Which response will the nurse make?
"Changes in the mouth can help explain why your condition is occurring." Explanation: A complete assessment of the oral cavity is essential because many disorders, such as cancer, diabetes, and immunosuppressive conditions resulting from medication therapy or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, may be manifested by changes in the oral cavity, including stomatitis. Assessment of the mouth is not done because it is the body part least examined. It is not assessed because it is a part of every assessment. The nurse has no way of knowing if the client's gastrointestinal problem is in the client's mouth.
A client is scheduled for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). During the client teaching, what will the nurse discuss?
"Do you experience any claustrophobia?" Explanation: MRI is a noninvasive technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of the area being studied. Clients must be NPO for 6 to 8 hours before the study and remove all jewelry and other metals. The examination takes 60 to 90 minutes and can induce feelings of claustrophobia, because the scanner is close fitting.
A client has been brought to the emergency department with abdominal pain and is subsequently diagnosed with appendicitis. The client is scheduled for an appendectomy but questions the nurse about how a person's health is affected by the absence of the appendix. How should the nurse best respond?
"Your appendix doesn't play a major role in health, so you won't notice any difference after your recovery from surgery."
A client has been brought to the emergency department with abdominal pain and is subsequently diagnosed with appendicitis. The client is scheduled for an appendectomy but questions the nurse about how a person's health is affected by the absence of the appendix. How should the nurse best respond?
"Your appendix doesn't play a major role in health, so you won't notice any difference after your recovery from surgery." Explanation: The appendix is an appendage of the cecum (not the small intestine) that has little or no physiologic function. Its absence does not affect digestion or absorption.
Which of the following digestive enzymes aids in the digesting of starch?
Amylase Explanation: Digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas include trypsin, which aids in digesting protein; amylase, which aids in digesting starch; and lipase, which aids in digesting fats. Bile is secreted by the liver and is not considered a digestive enzyme.
When examining the skin of a client who is dehydrated due to fluid losses from the gastrointestinal tract, which of the following would be most important?
Checking if the mucous membranes are dry Explanation: Mucous membranes may be dry, and skin turgor may be poor in clients suffering from dehydration as a result of fluid losses from the GI tract. Checking the skin for discoloration and inspecting the sclera if it is yellow is taken into consideration when the client could have symptoms of jaundice, not fluid losses. Distended abdominal veins are not associated with dehydration.
A client has come to the outpatient radiology department for diagnostic testing that will allow the care team to evaluate and remove polyps. The nurse should prepare the client for what procedure?
Colonoscopy Explanation: During colonoscopy, tissue biopsies can be obtained, as needed, and polyps can be removed and evaluated. This is not possible during a barium enema, ERCP, or gastroscopy. Reference
The nurse is assessing a client who is stating gastrointestinal upset and a feeling of bloating. Which type of meal would the nurse anticipate causing these types of symptoms?
Hamburger and French fries Explanation: Fatty foods delay stomach emptying (bloating) and can cause symptoms of gastrointestinal upset. Fried and deep fried foods contain elevated amounts of fat. The other options have a lower fat content.
A clinic client has described recent dark-colored stools, and the nurse recognizes the need for fecal occult blood testing (FOBT). What aspect of the client's current health status would contraindicate FOBT?
Hemorrhoids Explanation: FOBT should not be performed when there is hemorrhoidal bleeding. GERD, peptic ulcers, and nausea and vomiting do not contraindicate the use of FOBT as a diagnostic tool.
A client is scheduled for an ultrasound of the abdomen. Which statement indicates that teaching provided to the client to prepare for the test was effective?
I will not eat or drink for 8 to 12 hours before the test." Explanation: Ultrasonography is a noninvasive diagnostic technique in which high-frequency sound waves are passed into internal body structures, and the ultrasonic echoes are recorded on an oscilloscope as they strike tissues of different densities. It is particularly useful in the detection of an enlarged gallbladder or pancreas, or the presence of gallstones, an enlarged ovary, an ectopic pregnancy, or appendicitis. The client should be instructed to fast for 8 to 12 hours before the test to decrease the amount of gas in the bowel. Enemas are not needed before an abdominal ultrasound. A clear liquid diet is not needed before the test. Medications to reduce gastric acid are not required before the test.
The nurse is caring for a client scheduled for a colonoscopy. The nurse should assist the client into what position during this diagnostic test?
Lying on the left side with legs drawn toward the chest Explanation: For best visualization, colonoscopy is performed while the client is lying on the left side with the legs drawn up toward the chest. A knee-chest position, lying on the stomach with legs drawn to the chest, and a prone position with two pillows elevating the legs do not allow for the best visualization.
A nurse is caring for clients in a stroke rehabilitation facility. Damage to what area of the brain will most affect a client's ability to swallow?
Medulla oblongata Explanation: Swallowing is a voluntary act that is regulated by a swallowing center in the medulla oblongata of the central nervous system. Swallowing is not regulated by the temporal lobe, cerebellum, or pons.
A client reports a new onset of diarrhea. For which additional symptoms will the nurse assess this client? Select all that apply.
Nausea Vomiting Cramping Abdominal pain
An advanced practice nurse is assessing the size and density of a client's abdominal organs. If the results of palpation are unclear to the nurse, what assessment technique should be implemented?
Percussion Explanation: Percussion is used to assess the size and density of the abdominal organs and to detect the presence of air-filled, fluid-filled, or solid masses. Percussion is used either independently or concurrently with palpation because it can validate palpation findings.
A client is scheduled for a barium enema later in the day. Which actions will the nurse take to prepare the client on the morning of the test? Select all that apply.
Provide cleansing enemas until clear Maintain nothing by mouth until after the test
Following ingestion of carrots or beets, the nurse would expect which alteration in stool color?
Red Explanation: Carrots or beets will tend to change the stool color to red. Black stools are associated with iron, licorice, and charcoal. Senna is associated with yellow stools. A milky white stool is associated with administration of barium.
The nurse conducts education related to test preparation for a client scheduled to undergo an abdominal ultrasonography. The nurse should give the client which instruction?
Restrict eating of solid food for 8 to 12 hours before the test. Explanation: For a client who is scheduled to undergo an abdominal ultrasonography, the client should restrict solid food for 6 to 8 hours to avoid having images of the test obscured with gas and intestinal contents. Ultrasonography records the reflection of sound waves. Strenuous exercises, the consumption of sweets, and exposure to sunlight do not affect the results of the test in any way.
The nurse is answering questions regarding fecal matter for a client who is scheduled for a colon resection. The client is asking questions regarding the composition of the fecal matter and when it becomes a formed mass. The nurse is most correct to state at which location?
Sigmoid colon Explanation: Water is reabsorbed by means of diffusion across the intestinal membrane as the contents move through the colon. By the time the mixture reaches the descending and sigmoid colon, the portion of the bowel adjacent to the rectum, it is a formed mass. The ileum and duodenum are located in the small intestine. The cecum is located at the beginning of the large intestine.
A medical client's CA 19-9 levels have become available and they are significantly elevated. How should the nurse best interpret this diagnostic finding?
The client may have cancer, but other GI disease must be ruled out. Explanation: CA 19-9 levels are elevated in most clients with advanced pancreatic cancer, but they may also be elevated in other conditions such as colorectal, lung, and gallbladder cancers; gallstones; pancreatitis; cystic fibrosis; and liver disease. A cancer diagnosis cannot be made solely on CA 19-9 results.
A client with diabetes begins to have digestive problems and is told by the physician that they are a complication of the diabetes. Which of the following explanations from the nurse is most accurate?
The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes. Explanation: While the pancreas has the well-known function of secreting insulin, it also secretes digestive enzymes. These enzymes include trypsin, amylase, and lipase. If the secretion of these enzymes are affected by a diseased pancreas as found with diabetes, the digestive functioning may be impaired.
The nurse recognizes which change of the GI system is an age-related change?
weakened gag reflex Explanation: A weakened gag reflex is an age-related change of the GI system. There is decreased motility, atrophy of the small intestine, and decreased mucus secretion
The nurse recognizes which change of the GI system is an age-related change?
weakened gag reflex Explanation: A weakened gag reflex is an age-related change of the GI system. There is decreased motility, atrophy of the small intestine, and decreased mucus secretion.
A client asks the nursing assistant for a bedpan. When the client is finished, the nursing assistant notifies the nurse that the client has bright red streaking of blood in the stool. The nurse's assessment should focus on what potential cause?
Hemorrhoids Explanation: Lower rectal or anal bleeding is suspected if there is streaking of blood on the surface of the stool. Hemorrhoids are often a cause of anal bleeding since they occur in the rectum. Blood from an upper GI bleed would be dark rather than frank. Iron supplements make the stool dark, but not bloody and red meat consumption would not cause frank blood.
A client is scheduled for an upper gastrointestinal barium study. Which teaching will the nurse provide for the client to prepare for this diagnostic test?
Ingest nothing by mouth after midnight. Explanation: An upper GI fluoroscopy delineates the entire GI tract after the introduction of a contrast agent such as barium. To prepare for the test, the client should be instructed to ingest nothing after midnight before the test. Clear liquids are not permitted the morning of the test. Most oral medications are withheld the morning of the test, but not for 24 hours before. There is no reason to avoid products containing aspirin for a week before the test.
A client is diagnosed with megaloblastic anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. The health care provider begins the client on cyanocobalamin (Betalin-12), 100 mcg I.M. daily. Which substance influences vitamin B12 absorption
Intrinsic factor Explanation: Vitamin B12 absorption depends on intrinsic factor, which is secreted by parietal cells in the stomach. The vitamin binds with intrinsic factor and is absorbed in the ileum. Hydrochloric acid, histamine, and liver enzymes don't influence vitamin B12 absorption
While palpating a client's right upper quadrant (RUQ), the nurse would expect to find which structure?
Liver Explanation: The RUQ contains the liver, gallbladder, duodenum, head of the pancreas, hepatic flexure of the colon, portions of the ascending and transverse colon, and a portion of the right kidney. The sigmoid colon is located in the left lower quadrant; the appendix, in the right lower quadrant; and the spleen, in the left upper quadrant.
A client undergoing a diagnostic examination for gastrointestinal disorder was given polyethylene glycol/electrolyte solution as a part of the test preparation. Which of the following measures should the nurse take once the solution is administered?
Permit the client to drink only clear liquids. Explanation: After polyethylene glycol/electrolyte solution is administered, the client should have clear liquids because this ensures watery stools, which are necessary for procedures like a barium enema. Allowing the client to ingest a fat-free meal is used in preparation for oral cholecystography. Instructing the client to have low-residue meals is a pretest procedure for barium enema. A client is offered saline gargles after esophagogastroduodenoscopy
A client has returned to the medical unit after a barium enema. When assessing the client's subsequent bowel patterns and stools, what finding would warrant reporting to the health care provider?
Streaks of blood present in the stool Explanation: Barium has a high osmolarity and may draw fluid into the bowel, thus increasing the intraluminal contents and resulting in greater output (large stools). The barium will give the stools a milky white appearance, and it is not uncommon for the client to experience an increase in the number of bowel movements. Blood in fecal matter is not an expected finding and the nurse should notify accordingly.
A client undergoing a diagnostic examination for gastrointestinal disorder was given polyethylene glycol/electrolyte solution as a part of the test preparation. Which of the following measures should the nurse take once the solution is administered?
Permit the client to drink only clear liquids. Explanation: After polyethylene glycol/electrolyte solution is administered, the client should have clear liquids because this ensures watery stools, which are necessary for procedures like a barium enema. Allowing the client to ingest a fat-free meal is used in preparation for oral cholecystography. Instructing the client to have low-residue meals is a pretest procedure for barium enema. A client is offered saline gargles after esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
