Chapter 52: Endocrine

A nurse is assessing a client with Cushing's syndrome. Which observation should the nurse report to the physician immediately?

An irregular apical pulse Because Cushing's syndrome causes aldosterone overproduction, which increases urinary potassium loss, the disorder may lead to hypokalemia. Therefore, the nurse should immediately report signs and symptoms of hypokalemia, such as an irregular apical pulse, to the physician.

A nurse is caring for a female client with hypothyroidism. The client is extremely upset about her altered physical appearance. She doesn't want to take her medication because she doesn't believe it's doing any good. What should the nurse do?

Tell the client she'll soon experience improvement in her looks as the medication corrects her hormone deficiency.

A nurse is caring for a client with diabetes insipidus. The nurse should anticipate administering:

vasopressin

A nurse is caring for a client who was recently diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism. Which statement by the client indicates the need for additional discharge teaching?

"I will increase my fluid and calcium intake." Hyperparathyroidism causes extreme increases in serum calcium levels. The client should increase his fluid intake, but he should limit his calcium and vitamin D intake.

A patient has been diagnosed with thyroidal hypothyroidism. The nurse knows that this diagnosis in consistent with which of the following?

Dysfunction of the thyroid gland itself

The nurse is administering a medication to a client with hyperthyroidism to block the production of thyroid hormone. The client is not a candidate for surgical intervention at this time. What medication should the nurse administer to the client?

Propylthiouracil Antithyroid drugs, such as propylthiouracil and methimazole are given to block the production of thyroid hormone preoperatively or for long-term treatment for clients who are not candidates for surgery or radiation treatment.

A group of students is reviewing material about endocrine system function. The students demonstrate understanding of the information when they identify which of the following as secreted by the adrenal medulla?

Epinephrine

A patient is being evaluated for a diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. He is scheduled for epinephrine and norepinephrine laboratory tests. Which of the following plasma levels is a positive value that is diagnostic for pheochromocytoma?

Epinephrine @ 450 pg/mL Epi above 400 or norepi above 2,000

A client is suspected of having acromegaly. What definitive diagnostic testing is the most reliable method of confirming acromegaly?

Glucose tolerance test in combination with a GH measurement

Which instruction should be included in the discharge teaching plan for a client after thyroidectomy for Graves' disease?

Have regular follow-up care.

A patient is ordered desmopressin (DDAVP) for the treatment of diabetes insipidus. What therapeutic response does the nurse anticipate the patient will experience?

A decrease in urine output

Long-term use of antithyroid medication is not generally recommended for elderly clients because of which events?

Agranulocytosis and hepatic injury

A nurse is teaching a client about hormones within the endocrine system. Which hormones would be included as the hypothalamic hormones? Select all that apply.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone Gonadotropin-releasing hormone Thyrotropin-releasing hormone

Undersecretion of thyroid hormone during fetal and neonatal development can cause which of the following?

Cretinism During fetal and neonatal development, undersecretion of thyroid hormone may cause cretinism (stunted growth and mental development). In adults, hyposecretion of thyroid hormone causes myxedema or hypothyroidism.

Hypophysectomy is the treatment of choice for which endocrine disorder?

Cushing syndrome

During physical examination of a client with a suspected endocrine disorder, the nurse assesses the body structures. The nurse gathers this data based on the understanding that it is an important aid in which of the following?

Detecting evidence of hormone hypersecretion.

A client has been diagnosed with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (DI), and the physician is initiating treatment. What medication does the nurse prepare to administer for this client?

Hydrochlorothiazide The physician prescribes a thiazide diuretic, such as hydrochlorothiazide. The thiazide acts at the proximal convoluted tubule, leaving less fluid for excretion in the distal convoluted tubules, the portion affected by nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (DI).

The nurse is aware that the clinical symptoms of a patient with hypoparathyroidism are the result of the initial physiologic response of:

Hypocalcemia.

The typical triad of manifestations seen in a client diagnosed with pheochromocytoma does not include which of the following?

Hypotension

A nursing coordinator calls the intensive care unit (ICU) to inform the department that a client with a suspected pheochromocytoma will be admitted from the emergency department. The ICU nurse should prepare to administer which drug to the client?

Nitroprusside Excess catecholamine release occurs with pheochromocytoma and causes hypertension. The nurse should prepare to administer nitroprusside to control the hypertension until the client undergoes adrenalectomy to remove the tumor.

Vision and visual fields are altered in disorders of which of the following endocrine glands?

Pituitary

A client with hypothyroidism (myxedema) is receiving levothyroxine (Synthroid), 25 mcg P.O. daily. Which finding should the nurse recognize as an adverse reaction to the drug?

Tachycardia or other dysrhythmias

Which hormone is secreted by the posterior pituitary?

Vasopressin

Which findings should a nurse expect to assess in client with Hashimoto's thyroiditis?

Weight gain, decreased appetite, and constipation

A nurse is assessing a client with hyperthyroidism. What findings should the nurse expect?

Weight loss, nervousness, and tachycardia

A nurse should expect a client with hypothyroidism to report:

puffiness of the face and hands.

A client with Addison's disease comes to the clinic for a follow-up visit. When assessing this client, the nurse should stay alert for signs and symptoms of:

sodium and potassium abnormalities.