Porth's Chapter 32: Disorders of Endocrine

A client's low serum T4 level has led to a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. When planning this client's care, the nurse should:

teach the client about the safe and effective use of synthetic thyroid hormones.

A client is diagnosed with Addison's disease. What statement by the client indicates an understanding of the discharge instructions by the nurse?

"I will have to take my medication for the rest of my life."

Parents of a 7-year-old girl are concerned about their daughter because she has begun to develop secondary sexual characteristics. What etiologic factor is most likely to underlie the child's condition?

Early activation of the hypothalamic--pituitary--gonadal axis

Precocious puberty is a disorder that occurs in both boys and girls. What does precocious puberty cause in adults?

Short stature in adults

Which of the following best describes a secondary disorder of endocrine function?

The disorder occurs when the target organ is normal, but stimulating hormones alter its function.

A child is born with dwarfism to normal-sized parents. The physician is explaining how growth hormone (GH) plays a central role in the increase in stature that characterizes childhood and adolescence. What is the first step in the growth hormone chain of events?

The hypothalamus secretes GHRH.