GI Prep U

The nurse is assessing a client for constipation. To identify the cause of constipation, the nurse should begin by reviewing the client's:

usual pattern of elimination.

A client is readmitted with an exacerbation of celiac disease 2 weeks after discharge. Which statement by the client indicates the need for a dietary consult?

"I didn't eat anything I shouldn't have; I just ate roast beef on rye bread."

A nurse is teaching an older adult client about good bowel habits. Which statement by the client indicates to the nurse that additional teaching is required?

"I need to use laxatives regularly to prevent constipation."

Medical management of a patient with peritonitis includes fluid, electrolyte, and colloid replacement. The nurse knows to prepare the initial, most appropriate intravenous solution. Which of the following is the correct solution?

0.9% NS

Which is a true statement regarding regional enteritis (Crohn's disease)?

The clusters of ulcers take on a cobblestone appearance.

A client has symptoms suggestive of peritonitis. Nursing management would not include:

limiting analgesics to avoid the formation of paralytic ileus.

A nurse is preparing a presentation for a local community group of older adults about colon cancer. What would the nurse include as the primary characteristic associated with this disorder?

A change in bowel habits

The nurse is performing a rectal assessment and notices a longitudinal tear or ulceration in the lining of the anal canal. The nurse documents the finding as which condition?

Anal fissure

The American Cancer Society recommends routine screening to detect colorectal cancer. Which screening test for colorectal cancer should a nurse recommend?

Annual digital examination after age 40

A client reports constipation. Which nursing measure would be most effective in helping the client reduce constipation?

Assist client to increase dietary fiber.

Which drug is considered a stimulant laxative?

Bisacodyl

Which of the following would a nurse expect to assess in a client with peritonitis?

Board-like abdomen

A typical sign/symptom of appendicitis is:

nausea

The nurse is performing and documenting the findings of an abdominal assessment. When the nurse hears intestinal rumbling and the client then experiences diarrhea, the nurse documents the presence of which condition?

Borborygmus

In women, which of the following types of cancer exceeds colorectal cancer?

Breast

A patient with IBD would be encouraged to increase fluids, use vitamins and iron supplements, and follow a diet designed to reduce inflammation. Select the meal choice that would be recommended for a low-residue diet.

Broiled chicken with low-fiber pasta

The nurse is talking with a group of clients who are older than age 50 years about the recognition of colon cancer to access early intervention. What should the nurse inform the clients to report immediately to their primary care provider?

Change in bowel habits

The nurse is irrigating a colostomy when the patient says, "You will have to stop, I am cramping so badly." What is the priority action by the nurse?

Clamp the tubing and give the patient a rest period.

A patient is suspected to have diverticulosis without symptoms of diverticulitis. What diagnostic test does the nurse anticipate educating the patient about prior to scheduling?

Colonoscopy

A nurse is reviewing the history and physical of a client admitted for a hemorrhoidectomy. Which predisposing condition does the nurse expect to see?

Constipation

An older adult client seeks help for chronic constipation. What factor related to aging can cause constipation in elderly clients?

Decreased abdominal strength

Which is one of the primary symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

Diarrhea

What information should the nurse include in the teaching plan for a client being treated for diverticulosis?

Drink at least 8 to 10 large glasses of fluid every day

The nurse is teaching a client with an ostomy how to change the pouching system. Which information should the nurse include when teaching a client with no peristomal skin irritation?

Dry skin thoroughly after washing

A client underwent a continent ileostomy. Within which time frame should the client expect to empty the reservoir?

Every 4 to 6 hours

The nurse is performing a community screening for colorectal cancer. Which characteristic should the nurse include in the screening?

Familial polyposis

Which term refers to a protrusion of the intestine through a weakened area in the abdominal wall?

Hernia

Diet therapy for clients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) includes:

High-fiber diet

A client is recovering from an ileostomy that was performed to treat inflammatory bowel disease. During discharge teaching, what would the nurse stress the importance of?

Increasing fluid intake to prevent dehydration

A patient visited a nurse practitioner because he had diarrhea for 2 weeks. He described his stool as large and greasy. The nurse knows that this description is consistent with a diagnosis of:

Intestinal malabsorption.

After teaching a group of students about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and antidiarrheal agents, the instructor determines that the teaching was effective when the students identify which of the following as an example of an antidiarrheal agent commonly administered for IBS?Loperamide

Loperamide

Diet modifications for patient diagnosed with chronic inflammatory bowel disease include which of the following?

Low residue

The nurse is caring for an older adult patient experiencing fecal incontinence. When planning the care of this patient, what should the nurse designate as a priority goal?

Maintaining skin integrity

Vomiting results in which of the following acid-base imbalances?

Metabolic alkalosis

Which of the following is considered a bulk-forming laxative?

Metamucil

Celiac disease (celiac sprue) is an example of which category of malabsorption?

Mucosal disorders causing generalized malabsorption

The nurse working in the ED is evaluating a client for signs and symptoms of appendicitis. Which of the client's signs/symptoms should the nurse report to the physician?

Nausea

The nurse is admitting a client with a diagnosis of diverticulitis and assesses that the client has a board-like abdomen, no bowel sounds, and reports of severe abdominal pain. What is the nurse's first action?

Notify the health care provider.

When preparing a client for surgery to treat appendicitis, the nurse formulates a nursing diagnosis of Risk for infection related to inflammation, perforation, and surgery. What is the rationale for choosing this nursing diagnosis?

Obstruction of the appendix reduces arterial flow, leading to ischemia, inflammation, and rupture of the appendix.

The nurse is caring for a client with intussusception of the bowel. What does the nurse understand occurs with this disorder?

One part of the intestine telescopes into another portion of the intestine.

Post appendectomy, a nurse should assess the patient for abdominal rigidity and tenderness, fever, loss of bowel sounds, and tachycardia, all clinical signs of:

Peritonitis

The nurse is monitoring a client's postoperative course after an appendectomy. The nurse's assessment reveals that the client has vomited, has abdominal tenderness and rigidity, and has tachycardia. The nurse reports to the physician that the client has signs/symptoms of which complication?

Peritonitis

A nurse is interviewing a client about past medical history. Which preexisting condition may lead the nurse to suspect that a client has colorectal cancer?

Polyps

When interviewing a client with internal hemorrhoids, what would the nurse expect the client to report?

Rectal bleeding

A nurse is caring for a client who had an ileal conduit 3 days earlier. The nurse examines the stoma site and determines that she should consult with the ostomy nurse. Which assessment finding indicates the need for further consultation?

Red, sensitive skin around the stoma site

A client is admitted with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis. When assessing the abdomen, the nurse would expect to find rebound tenderness at which location?

Right lower quadrant

A client is admitted to the hospital for diagnostic testing to rule out colorectal cancer. Which intervention should the nurse include on the plan of care?

Test all stools for occult blood.

A client realizes that regular use of laxatives has greatly improved his bowel pattern. However, the nurse cautions this client against the prolonged use of laxatives for which reason?

The client's natural bowel function may become sluggish.

A client tells the nurse, "I am not having normal bowel movements." When differentiating between what are normal and abnormal bowel habits, what indicators are the most important?

The consistency of stool and comfort when passing stool

Which symptom characterizes regional enteritis?

Transmural thickening

The nurse is conducting a gastrointestinal assessment. When the client reports the presence of mucus and pus in the stool, the nurse assesses for additional signs/symptoms of which disease/condition?

Ulcerative colitis

The nurse is assessing a client for constipation. Which factor should the nurse review first to identify the cause of constipation?

Usual pattern of elimination

A client is admitted to the emergency department with reports right lower quadrant pain. Blood specimens are drawn and sent to the laboratory. Which laboratory finding should be reported to the health care provider immediately?

White blood cell (WBC) count 22.8/mm3

A client reports severe pain and bleeding while having a bowel movement. Upon inspection, the health care provider notes a linear tear in the anal canal tissue. The client is diagnosed with a:

fissure.

The nurse caring for an older adult client diagnosed with diarrhea is administering and monitoring the client's medications. Because one of the client's medications is digitalis (digoxin), the nurse monitors the client closely for:

hypokalemia

A resident at a long-term care facility lost the ability to swallow following a stroke 4 years ago. The client receives nutrition via a PEG tube, has adapted well to the tube feedings, and remains physically and socially active. Occasionally, the client develops constipation that requires administration of a laxative to restore regular bowel function. What is the most likely cause of this client's constipation?

lack of free water intake