Nclex: IBD, Crohn's disease, UC AH I Test #3

A client with ulcerative colitis is to take sulfasalazine (Azulfidine). Which of the following instructions should the nurse provide for the client about taking this medication at home? Select all that apply. 1. Drink enough fluids to maintain a urine output of at least 1,200- 1,500 mL per day. 2. Discontinue therapy if symptoms of acute intolerance develop and notify the health care provider. 3. Stop taking the medication if the urine turns orange-yellow. 4. Avoid activities that require alertness. 5. If dose is missed, skip and continue with the next dose.

1, 2, 4. Sulfasalazine may cause dizziness and the nurse should caution the client to avoid driving or other activities that require alertness until response to medication is known. If symptoms of acute intolerance (cramping, acute abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, fever, headache, rash) occur, the client should discontinue therapy and notify the health care provider immediately. Fluid intake should be sufficient to maintain a urine output of at least 1,200- 1,500 mL daily to prevent crystalluria and stone formation. The nurse can also inform the client that this medication may cause orange-yellow discoloration of urine and skin, which is not significant and does not require the client to stop taking the medication. The nurse should instruct the client to take missed doses as soon as remembered unless it is almost time for the next dose.

The nurse has an order to administer sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) 2 g. The medication is available in 500-mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer? ________________________ tablets.

4 tablets To administer 2 g sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), the nurse will need to administer 4 tablets.

A client with ulcerative colitis expresses serious concerns about her career as an attorney because of the effects of stress on ulcerative colitis. Which of the following nursing interventions will be most helpful to the client? 1. Review her current coping mechanisms and develop alternatives, if needed. 2. Suggest a less stressful career in which she would still use her education and experience. 3. Suggest that she ask her colleagues to help decrease her stress by giving her the easier cases. 4. Prepare family members for the fact that she will have to work part-time.

1. A client with ulcerative colitis need not curtail career goals. Self-care is the cornerstone of long-term management, and learning to cope with and modify stressors will enable the client to live with the disease. Giving up a desired career could discourage and even depress the client. Placing the responsibility for minimizing stressors at work in the hands of others leads to a feeling of loss of control and decreases the sense of responsibility needed for sound self-care. Working part-time rather than full-time is unnecessary.

A client who has had ulcerative colitis for the past 5 years is admitted to the hospital with an exacerbation of the disease. Which of the following factors was most likely of greatest significance in causing an exacerbation of ulcerative colitis? 1. A demanding and stressful job. 2. Changing to a modified vegetarian diet. 3. Beginning a weight-training program. 4. Walking 2 miles every day.

1. Stressful and emotional events have been clearly linked to exacerbations of ulcerative colitis, although their role in the etiology of the disease has been disproved. A modified vegetarian diet or an exercise program is an unlikely cause of the exacerbation.

When planning care for a client with ulcerative colitis who is experiencing an exacerbation of symptoms, which client care activities can the nurse appropriately delegate to an unlicensed assistant? Select all that apply. 1. Assessing the client's bowel sounds. 2. Providing skin care following bowel movements. 3. Evaluating the client's response to antidiarrheal medications. 4. Maintaining intake and output records. 5. Obtaining the client's weight.

2, 4, 5. The nurse can delegate the following basic care activities to the unlicensed assistant: providing skin care following bowel movements, maintaining intake and output records, and obtaining the client's weight. Assessing the client's bowel sounds and evaluating the client's response to medication are registered nurse activities that cannot be delegated.

The nurse is developing a plan of care for a client with Crohn's disease who is receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Which of the following interventions should the nurse include? Select all that apply. 1. Monitoring vital signs once a shift. 2. Weighing the client daily. 3. Changing the central venous line dressing daily. 4. Monitoring the I.V. infusion rate hourly. 5. Taping all I.V. tubing connections securely.

2, 4, 5. When caring for a client who is receiving TPN, the nurse should plan to weigh the client daily, monitor the I.V. fluid infusion rate hourly (even when using an I.V. fluid pump), and securely tape all I.V. tubing connections to prevent disconnections. Vital signs should be monitored at least every 4 hours to facilitate early detection of complications. It is recommended that the I.V. dressing be changed once or twice per week or when it becomes soiled, loose, or wet.

The nurse is assigning clients for the evening shift. Which of the following clients are appropriate for the nurse to assign to a licensed practical nurse to provide client care? Select all that apply. 1. A client with Crohn's disease who is receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). 2. A client who underwent inguinal hernia repair surgery 3 hours ago. 3. A client with an intestinal obstruction who needs a Cantor tube inserted. 4. A client with diverticulitis who needs teaching about his take-home medications. 5. A client who is experiencing an exacerbation of his ulcerative colitis.

2, 5. The nurse should consider client needs and scope of practice when assigning staff to provide care. The client who is recovering from inguinal hernia repair surgery and the client who is experiencing an exacerbation of his ulcerative colitis are appropriate clients to assign to a licensed practical nurse as the care they require fall within the scope of practice for a licensed practical nurse. It is not within the scope of practice for the licensed practical nurse to administer TPN, insert nasoenteric tubes, or provide client teaching related to medications.

Which of the following should be a priority focus of care for a client experiencing an exacerbation of Crohn's disease? 1. Encouraging regular ambulation. 2. Promoting bowel rest. 3. Maintaining current weight. 4. Decreasing episodes of rectal bleeding.

2. A priority goal of care during an acute exacerbation of Crohn's disease is to promote bowel rest. This is accomplished through decreasing activity, encouraging rest, and initially placing client on nothing-by-mouth status while maintaining nutritional needs parenterally. Regular ambulation is important, but the priority is bowel rest. The client will probably lose some weight during the acute phase of the illness. Diarrhea is nonbloody in Crohn's disease, and episodes of rectal bleeding are not expected.

The client with ulcerative colitis is following orders for bed rest with bathroom privileges. When evaluating the effectiveness of this level of activity, the nurse should determine if the client has: 1. Conserved energy. 2. Reduced intestinal peristalsis. 3. Obtained needed rest. 4. Minimized stress.

2. Although modified bed rest does help conserve energy and promotes comfort, its primary purpose in this case is to help reduce the hypermotility of the colon. Remaining on bed rest does not by itself reduce stress, and if the client is having stress, the nurse can plan with the client to use strategies that will help the client manage the stress.

Which of the following diets would be most appropriate for the client with ulcerative colitis? 1. High-calorie, low-protein. 2. High-protein, low-residue. 3. Low-fat, high-fiber. 4. Low-sodium, high-carbohydrate.

2. Clients with ulcerative colitis should follow a well-balanced high-protein, high-calorie, low-residue diet, avoiding such high-residue foods as whole-wheat grains, nuts, and raw fruits and vegetables. Clients with ulcerative colitis need more protein for tissue healing and should avoid excess roughage. There is no need for clients with ulcerative colitis to follow low-sodium diets.

Which goal for the client's care should take priority during the first days of hospitalization for an exacerbation of ulcerative colitis? 1. Promoting self-care and independence. 2. Managing diarrhea. 3. Maintaining adequate nutrition. 4. Promoting rest and comfort.

2. Diarrhea is the primary symptom in an exacerbation of ulcerative colitis, and decreasing the frequency of stools is the first goal of treatment. The other goals are ongoing and will be best achieved by halting the exacerbation. The client may receive antidiarrheal agents, antispasmodic agents, bulk hydrophilic agents, or anti-inflammatory drugs.

A client has been placed on long-term sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) therapy for treatment of his ulcerative colitis. The nurse should encourage the client to eat which of the following foods to help avoid the nutrient deficiencies that may develop as a result of this medication? 1. Citrus fruits. 2. Green, leafy vegetables. 3. Eggs. 4. Milk products.

2. In long-term sulfasalazine therapy, the client may develop folic acid deficiency. The client can take folic acid supplements, but the nurse should also encourage the client to increase the intake of folic acid in his diet. Green, leafy vegetables are a good source of folic acid. Citrus fruits, eggs, and milk products are not good sources of folic acid.

A client with Crohn's disease has concentrated urine, decreased urinary output, dry skin with decreased turgor, hypotension, and weak, thready pulses. The nurse should do which of the following first? 1. Encourage the client to drink at least 1,000 mL per day. 2. Provide parenteral rehydration therapy ordered by the physician. 3. Turn and reposition every 2 hours. 4. Monitor vital signs every shift.

2. Initially, the extracellular fluid (ECF) volume with isotonic I.V. fluids until adequate circulating blood volume and renal perfusion are achieved. Vital signs should be monitored as parenteral and oral rehydration are achieved. Oral fluid intake should be greater than 1,000 mL/ day. Turning and repositioning the client at regular intervals aids in the prevention of skin breakdown, but it is first necessary to rehydrate this client.

A client newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis who has been placed on steroids asks the nurse why steroids are prescribed. The nurse shuld tell the client? 1. "Ulcerative colitis can be cured by the use of steroids." 2. "Steroids are used in severe flare-ups because they can decrease the incidence of bleeding." 3. "Long-term use of steroids will prolong periods of remission." 4.. "The side effects of steroids outweigh their benefits to clients with ulcerative colitis."

2. Steroids are effective in management of the acute symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Steroids do not cure ulcerative colitis, which is a chronic disease. Long-term use is not effective in prolonging the remission and is not advocated. Clients should be assessed carefully for side effects related to steroid therapy, but the benefits of short-term steroid therapy usually outweigh the potential adverse effects.

The physician prescribes sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) for the client with ulcerative colitis to continue taking at home. Which instruction should the nurse give the client about taking this medication? 1. Avoid taking it with food. 2. Take the total dose at bedtime. 3. Take it with a full glass (240 mL) of water. 4. Stop taking it if urine turns orange-yellow.

3. Adequate fluid intake of at least 8 glasses a day prevents crystalluria and stone formation during sulfasalazine therapy. Sulfasalazine can cause gastrointestinal distress and is best taken after meals and in equally divided doses. Sulfasalazine gives alkaline urine an orange-yellow color, but it is not necessary to stop the drug when this occurs.

A client's ulcerative colitis signs and symptoms have been present for longer than 1 week. The nurse should assess the client for signs and symptoms of which of the following complications? 1. Heart failure. 2. Deep vein thrombosis. 3. Hypokalemia. 4. Hypocalcemia.

3. Excessive diarrhea causes significant depletion of the body's stores of sodium and potassium as well as fluid. The client should be closely monitored for hypokalemia and hyponatremia. Ulcerative colitis does not place the client at risk for heart failure, deep vein thrombosis, or hypocalcemia.

A client who has ulcerative colitis has persistent diarrhea. He is thin and has lost 12 lb since the exacerbation of his ulcerative colitis. Which of the following will be most effective in helping the client meet his nutritional needs? 1. Continuous enteral feedings. 2. Following a high-calorie, high-protein diet. 3. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN). 4. Eating six small meals a day.

3. Food will be withheld from the client with severe symptoms of ulcerative colitis to rest the bowel. To maintain the client's nutritional status, the client will be started on TPN. Enteral feedings or dividing the diet into six small meals does not allow the bowel to rest. A high-calorie, high-protein diet will worsen the client's symptoms.

A client who has a history of Crohn's disease is admitted to the hospital with fever, diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and weight loss. The nurse should monitor the client for: 1. Hyperalbuminemia. 2. Thrombocytopenia. 3. Hypokalemia. 4. Hypercalcemia.

3. Hypokalemia is the most expected laboratory finding owing to the diarrhea. Hypoalbuminemia can also occur in Crohn's disease; however, the client's potassium level is of greater importance at this time because a low potassium level can cause cardiac arrest. Anemia is an expected development, but thrombocytopenia is not. Calcium levels are not affected.

A client who is experiencing an exacerbation of ulcerative colitis is receiving I.V. fluids that are to be infused at 125 mL/ hour. The I.V. tubing delivers 15 gtt/ mL. How quickly should the nurse infuse the fluids in drops per minute to infuse the fluids at the prescribed rate? ________________________ gtt/ minute.

31 gtt/ minute To administer I.V. fluids at 125 mL/ hour using tubing that has a drip factor of 15 gtt/ mL, the nurse should use the following formula: 125 mL/ 60 minutes × 15 gtt/ 1 mL = 31 gtt/ minute.

A client who has ulcerative colitis says to the nurse, "I can't take this anymore! I'm constantly in pain, and I can't leave my room because I need to stay by the toilet. I don't know how to deal with this." Based on these comments, an appropriate nursing diagnosis for this client would be: 1. Impaired physical mobility related to fatigue. 2. Disturbed thought processes related to pain. 3. Social isolation related to chronic fatigue. 4. Ineffective coping related to chronic abdominal pain.

4. It is not uncommon for clients with ulcerative colitis to become apprehensive and upset about the frequency of stools and the presence of abdominal cramping. During these acute exacerbations, clients need emotional support and encouragement to verbalize their feelings about their chronic health concerns and assistance in developing effective coping methods. The client has not expressed feelings of fatigue or isolation or demonstrated disturbed thought processes.