Med Surg Chapter 44: Assessment of Digestive and Gastrointestinal Function

Which nursing instruction is correct to provide the client following a barium enema?

The stools may be a white or clay colored.

The nurse is assisting the physician with a colonoscopy for a patient with rectal bleeding. The physician requests the nurse to administer glucagon during the procedure. Why is the nurse administering this medication during the procedure?

To relax colonic musculature and reduce spasm.

The patient is describing to the nurse a test that he underwent to detect a small bowel obstruction prior to admission to the hospital. The patient states that the test involved insertion of a tube through the nose and lasted over 6 hours. The nurse documents the name of the test as which of the following?

Upper GI enteroclysis

Which of the following is an age-related change of the GI system?

Weakened gag reflex

Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder characterized by pulmonary and pancreatic dysfunction, usually appears in young children but can also affect adults. If the pancreas was functioning correctly, where would the bile and pancreatic enzymes enter the GI system?

duodenum

Which of the following is the major carbohydrate that tissue cells use as fuel?

glucose

One or two bowel sounds in 2 minutes would be documented as which of the following?

hypoactive

While palpating a client's right upper quadrant (RUQ), the nurse would expect to find which structure?

liver

Lisa Bentley, a 32-year-old teacher, presents to the gastroenterology office where you work. She is known to have a history of Crohn's disease, and you have met with her several times to discuss the various health concerns that she has related to her diagnosis. When talking with the client, the nurse explains that having a GI disorder doesn't mean her problems are limited to the one area that is diseased but might also involve all of the following except ________. absorption digestion ingestion elimination metabolism

metabolism

What part of the GI tract begins the digestion of food?

mouth

When bowel sounds are heard about every 15 seconds, the nurse would record that the bowel sounds are

normal

Following ingestion of carrots or beets, the nurse would expect which alteration in stool color?

red

A nurse is teaching a client with malabsorption syndrome about the disorder and its treatment. The client asks which part of the GI tract absorbs food. The nurse tells the client that products of digestion are absorbed mainly in the:

small intestine.

A client reports having red stools lately. What will the nurse ask during assessment questioning?

"Have you been eating beets?"

A home care nurse is caring for a client with complaints 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."

A nurse is preparing a client with Crohn's disease for a barium enema. What should the nurse do the day before the test?

Encourage plenty of fluids.

The nurse is working in a diagnostic testing unit focusing on gastrointestinal studies. For which testing procedure is the nurse correct to assess the gag reflex before offering fluids?

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

The nurse is providing community education at the mall. The nurse is instructing on the muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. The nurse outlines this structure on a drawing and labels it with which of the following?

Esophagus

Gastrin has which of the following effects on gastrointestinal (GI) motility?

Increased motility of the stomach

The nurse preparing a patient for a colostomy is preparing to administer the lavage solution. The nurse stops and notifies the physician when the nurse notes that the patient has which of the following?

Inflammatory bowel disease

The nurse is assisting the physician with a gastric acid stimulation test for a patient. What medication should the nurse prepare to administer subcutaneously to stimulate gastric secretions?

Pentagastrin

Which of the following is an enzyme secreted by the gastric mucosa?

Pepsin

The nurse is caring for a man who has experienced a spinal cord injury. Throughout his recovery, the client expects to gain control of his bowels. The nurse's best response to this client would be which of the following?

"Having a bowel movement is a spinal reflex requiring intact nerve fibers. Yours are not intact."

A patient asks the nurse why the physician ordered the blood test carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The nurse answers:

"It indicates if a cancer is present."

A client presented with gastrointestinal bleeding 2 days ago and continues to have problems. The physician has ordered a visualization of the small intestine via a capsule endoscopy. Which of the following will the nurse include in the client education about this procedure?

"You will need to swallow a capsule."

When completing a nutritional assessment of a patient who is admitted for a GI disorder, the nurse notes a recent history of dietary intake. This is based on the knowledge that a portion of digested waste products can remain in the rectum for how many days after a meal is digested?

3 days

Which of the following is the primary function of the small intestine?

Absorption

Which of the following digestive enzymes aids in the digesting of starch?

Amylase

The nurse is to obtain a stool specimen from a client who reported that he is taking iron supplements. The nurse would expect the stool to be which color?

Black

A client is scheduled for several diagnostic tests to evaluate her gastrointestinal function. After teaching the client about these tests, the nurse determines that the client has understood the teaching when she identifies which test as not requiring the use of a contrast medium?

Colonoscopy

An examiner is performing the physical assessment of the rectum, perianal region, and anus. While this examination can be uncomfortable for many clients, health care providers must approach it in a prepared, confident manner. Which of the following considerations will help this examination flow smoothly and efficiently for both provider and client? Select all that apply.

Position the client on the right side with the knees up to the chest. Ask the client to bear down for visual inspection.

A group of students are studying for an examination on the gastrointestinal (GI) system and are reviewing the structures of the esophagus and stomach. The students demonstrate understanding of the material when they identify which of the following as the opening between the stomach and duodenum?

Pyloric sphincter

A client is to have an upper GI procedure with barium ingestion and abdominal ultrasonography. While scheduling these diagnostic tests, the nurse must consider which factor?

The ultrasonography should be scheduled before the GI procedure.

A client, age 82, is admitted to an acute care facility for treatment of an acute flare-up of a chronic GI condition. In addition to assessing the client for complications of the current illness, the nurse monitors for age-related changes in the GI tract. Which age-related change increases the risk of anemia?

Atrophy of the gastric mucosa

Which of the following would be most important to ensure that a client does not retain any barium after a barium swallow?

Monitoring the stool passage and its color.

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.

A patient tells the nurse that his stool was colored yellow. The nurse assesses for which of the following?

Recent foods ingested

The nurse is conducting education relating to test preparation for a patient scheduled to undergo an abdominal ultrasonography. The nurse instructs the patient to do which of the following?

Restrict eating of solid food for 8 to 12 hours before the test.

The nurse is instructing the client who was newly diagnosed with peptic ulcers. Which of the following diagnostic studies would the nurse anticipate reviewing with the client?

Serum antibodies for H. pylori

The nurse is preparing to examine the abdomen of a client complaining of a change in his bowel pattern. The nurse would place the client in which position?

Supine with knees flexed