Patho week 8

An older adult client is admitted for the treatment of pneumonia. The nurse notes the home medications include nasal calcitonin, vitamin D, and calcium chloride. Which disease process is this client likely treating with these medications?

Osteoporosis

The nurse is caring for an older adult client with an unexplained fracture. For which condition should the nurse anticipate treatment?

Osteoporosis

The educator of a geriatric unit is orienting new staff and is teaching strategies on communicating with older adults with impaired hearing. Which teaching point is most appropriate?

"Ensure that the hearing aid is in place, turned on, and properly functioning."

Gastrointestinal elimination in older adults is often characterized by which common symptom?

Constipation

What contributes to impairment in renal function in aging?

Decrease in functioning nephrons

The nurse is assessing the fluid status of an older adult client. Which age-related change(s) should the nurse consider? (Select all that apply.)

Decrease in total body water Decreased kidney function

Which vascular changes can occur in older adults because of the increase in blood pressure during the aging process?

Decreased elasticity in arterial connective tissue

The nurse is performing pulmonary function testing for an older adult client. Which age-related finding(s) should the nurse anticipate? (Select all that apply.)

Decreased inspiratory reserve volume Increased residual volume Reduced ventilatory capacity Reduced ventilation-perfusion ratio

The nurse is assessing a client with secondary osteoporosis due to hyperthyroidism. Which additional finding(s) does the nurse expect? (Select all that apply.)

Irritability Palpitations Diaphoresis Weight loss

To help diagnose problems in cognitive function, many nursing facilities utilize the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) tool. Which of the following statements accurately describes this tool?

It is a brief, objective tool that will assess memory, orientation and attention

A daughter is concerned because her elderly parent has been diagnosed with osteomalacia. The daughter asks the nurse why this happened. The best response would be that:

intestinal absorption slows as natural aging occurs.

An example of age-related primary atrophy of skeletal tissue is:

menopausal bone loss

The adult child of a client with end-stage Alzheimer disease asks the nurse if Alzheimer disease can be passed on to him or her. What is the nurse's most accurate response?

"Research supports a possible genetic link with an early onset."

The spouse of a client diagnosed with Alzheimer disease asks the nurse why the client often neglects to take a shower. The spouse states that the client was always diligent with hygiene in the past; however, over the past few months that has not been the case. What is the nurse's best response?

"You should remind the client to shower."

The nurse is reviewing the health histories of four clients. Select the client most at risk for developing secondary osteoporosis.

A 60-year-old female taking prednisone for asthma

The first manifestation that a client has osteoporosis is when presenting with which condition?

A bone fracture

A client with confirmed low bone density asks the nurse if there is anything she can to decrease the risk of trauma. The best response would be:

Brisk walking three times per week on a flat surface

The nurse is performing a nutritional assessment for an older adult client. Which alteration(s) in mineral metabolism should the nurse anticipate? (Select all that apply.)

Calcium Phosphate Magnesium

The nurse is caring for a client undergoing treatment for osteoporosis with teriparatide therapy. For which additional condition(s) should the nurse monitor? Select all that apply.

Dizziness Leg cramps

The nurse is performing a skin assessment for an older adult client. Which age-related finding(s) should the nurse anticipate? (Select all that apply.)

Dry, wrinkled appearance Varied skin pigmentation Decreased elasticity

The nurse is caring for a client undergoing preventive treatment for osteoporosis with estrogen therapy. For which additional condition(s) should the nurse monitor? Select all that apply.

Endometrial hyperplasia Deep vein thrombosis Breast cancer

The nurse is assessing a client with stage 5 Alzheimer disease. Which finding(s) does the nurse anticipate? (Select all that apply.)

Exhibits major memory and cognitive deficits Requires assistance in day-to-day activities

Disorders that affect cortical bone typically result in:

Fractures of long bones

The nurse is reviewing the laboratory results of an older adult client with a diagnosis of water retention. Which additional condition should the nurse anticipate?

Hyponatremia

The practitioner is counseling an 80-year-old client who has recently lost his spouse. The practitioner is aware that the client is at risk for which of the following?

Increased incidence of depression

The nurse is assessing a client with secondary osteoporosis due to corticosteroid therapy. Which findings are related to the etiology of the client's secondary osteoporosis? Select all that apply

Increased parathyroid activity Decreased calcium absorption

The nurse is caring for a client with secondary osteoporosis due to hyperparathyroidism. Which additional finding(s) does the nurse expect? Select all that apply.

Increased parathyroid hormone Hypercalcemia Polyuria Renal calculi

The nurse is caring for a postoperative older adult client recovering from an appendectomy. What should the nurse anticipate about the client's recovery? (Select all that apply.)

Increased risk for infection Impaired wound healing

The family of an older adult client is concerned about injuries from falls. The nurse providing discharge teaching would best minimize this risk by encouraging the family to perform which intervention?

Keep walkways free of clutter since alteration in vision happens with aging.

A nurse is assessing an older adult with reports of constipation, for which the client often takes over-the-counter medications. What assessment should the nurse perform to address the etiology of the client's problem?

Medication regimen for drugs like anticholinergic agents or calcium

In considering a definition of aging, a 76-year-old male would be classified into which of the following subgroups?

Middle-old

Which statement demonstrates and supports the stochastic free radical theory of aging?

Mitochondria DNA may become damaged from reactive oxygen species (ROS)

The nurse is caring for a client with Alzheimer disease undergoing treatment with a cholinesterase inhibitor. For which condition should the nurse monitor?

Nausea

Which statement correctly describes osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease?

Osteogenesis imperfecta is caused by deficiencies in the synthesis of type I collagen.

A physiotherapist (PT) at an assisted living facility for older adults is leading an exercise class for the residents. Part of the PT's introductory class is an explanation of the health problems that can be mitigated by physical activity and those which are considered inevitabilities of the aging process. Which of the following phenomena would the PT most justifiably characterize as modifiable?

Overall reduction in muscle strength.

Which of the following pathophysiological processes would a clinician most likely expect in a client with a diagnosis of dementia rather than delirium?

Plaques have developed between neurons and neurofibrillary tangles have developed within neurons.

The nurse is caring for a client undergoing treatment for osteoporosis with calcitonin therapy. For which additional conditions should the nurse monitor? Select all that apply.

Rhinorrhea Hypocalcemia

The nurse is assessing an older adult client at risk for age-related changes in neurological function. For which finding(s) should the nurse monitor? (Select all that apply.)

Sensory deficits Motor dysfunction Sleep disturbances Impaired memory and cognition

The nurse is caring for a client undergoing treatment for osteoporosis with risedronate therapy. For which additional condition(s) should the nurse monitor? Select all that apply.

Upper GI distress Arthralgias

The nurse is caring for a client undergoing treatment for osteoporosis with alendronate therapy. For which other condition(s) should the nurse monitor? Select all that apply.

Upper GI distress Myalgias Arthralgias

The family of an older adult reports increasing inability to perform basic activities of daily living. After evaluation, the client is diagnosed with Alzheimer disease. What intervention will be implemented to slow cognitive decline?

cholinesterase inhibitors

Which of the following may indicate the development of typical age-related changes in thyroid function?

decreased TSH levels

Which of the following vascular changes results in increased cardiac afterload and hypertension in the elderly?

decreased elasticity in arterial connective tissue

Age-related melanin deficiency leads to which one of the following manifestations?

graying hair

Alterations in temperature regulation in the elderly may occur due to:

impaired responsiveness to catecholamine-induced vasoconstriction

Immune function is altered in aging due to:

reduced T-cell lymphocyte activity

Renal function impairment in aging is related to:

reduced nephron number

Which of the following is a potential metabolic alteration leading to osteoporosis in older adults?

reduced vitamin D activation

The condition characterized by decreased size and number of skeletal muscle fibers is known as:

sarcopenia

A nurse is preparing to lecture on aging. One topic the nurse plans to discuss is tissue effects that occur as a result of deposits of lipofuscin. Which effect(s) will the nurse include? Select all that apply.

stiffening rigidity