Unit 6 - Thyroid Disorders

A client with a large goiter is scheduled for a subtotal thyroidectomy to treat thyrotoxicosis. Saturated solution of potassium iodide (SSKI) is prescribed preoperatively for the client. What should the nurse explain to the client about the expected outcome of using this drug? The drug helps:

Reduce the vascularity of the thyroid gland.

A client with hyperthyroidism is to be treated with radioactive iodine (RAI, I-131). Following treatment, what should the nurse teach the client to do?

Take thyroxine replacement for the remainder of the client's life.

A client with Graves' disease has exophthalmos. What should the nurse teach the client to do to prevent corneal irritation?

Wear dark-colored glasses when awake.

Which medication should be available to provide emergency treatment if a client develops tetany after a subtotal thyroidectomy?

calcium gluconate

Propylthiouracil (PTU) is prescribed for a client with Graves' disease. Which symptom should the nurse teach the client to report?

Sore throat

The nurse is evaluating a client with hyperthyroidism who is taking propylthiouracil (PTU) 100 mg/day in three divided doses for maintenance therapy. Which statement from the client indicates the drug is effective?

"I'm able to sleep and rest at night."

A 34-year-old female is diagnosed with hypothyroidism. What information should the nurse obtain from conducting a focused assessment? Select all that apply.

- Decreased energy and fatigue - Weight gain of 10 lb - Constipation - Menorrhagia

One day following a subtotal thyroidectomy, a client begins to have tingling in the fingers and toes. What should the nurse do first?

Notify the health care provider (HCP).

Immediately following a thyroidectomy, the nurse asks the client to say "hello." The client moves the lips, but is not able to speak the word. What should the nurse do next?

Notify the surgeon.

The nurse is completing a health assessment of a 42-year-old female with suspected Graves' disease. When conducting a focused assessment, what should the nurse assess the client for?

Tachycardia

A client with thyrotoxicosis says to the nurse, "I'm so irritable. I'm having problems at work because I lose my temper very easily." Which response by the nurse would give the client the most accurate explanation of this behavior? "You are experiencing:

excess thyroid hormone in your system."

Following a subtotal thyroidectomy, the nurse asks the client to speak immediately upon regaining consciousness. The client is not able to make a sound. The nurse determines that the client is experiencing which complication of the surgery?

laryngeal nerve damage

A client with hypothyroidism has started to take thyroid hormone replacement therapy and asks the nurse about the reason for feeling sad and depressed. What should the nurse tell the client? "The feelings of sadness and depression are caused by:

low thyroid hormone levels and will improve with replacement therapy."

The nurse is instructing the client with hypothyroidism who takes levothyroxine 100 mcg, digoxin, and simvastatin. The nurse judges that the teaching regarding the use of these medications is effective if the client will take:

the levothyroxine before breakfast and the other medications 4 hours later

A 60-year-old female is diagnosed with hypothyroidism. What additional information should the nurse obtain when conducting a focused assessment?

weight gain

A client with hyperthyroidism is to take a saturated solution of potassium iodide (SSKI). What should the nurse do when administering this drug?

Dilute the solution with water, milk, or fruit juice and have the client drink it with a straw.

A client is being evaluated for hypothyroidism. To plan care, the nurse should ask the client about which sign or symptom?

Fatigue

When conducting a health history with a female client with thyrotoxicosis, the nurse should ask about which changes in the menstrual cycle?

Oligomenorrhea

A client with hyperthyroidism is to have a thyroidectomy. The health care provider (HCP) has prescribed propranolol. In reviewing the client's history, the nurse notes that the client has asthma. What should the nurse do next?

Contact the HCP and discuss the prescription for propranolol because of the client's history of having asthma