A client is receiving continuous enteral nutrition through a nasogastric small-bore silicone feeding tube. What should the nurse plan for when this client has a computed tomography (CT) scan ordered?

Choice A reason:Cardiac enzyme studies do not provide information about the heart's structure or the mobility of the heart valves; imaging studies are used for that purpose.

Choice B reason:While cardiac enzymes indicate damage to heart tissues, they do not pinpoint the exact location of an MI; imaging studies are needed for localization.

Choice C reason:Cardiac enzymes are not used to diagnose pulmonary congestion; they are specific markers for myocardial injury.

Choice D reason:Cardiac enzyme levels, such as troponin, rise when there is damage to the heart muscle, which is why they are used to assess the degree of damage after an MI.

Choice A: Instruct the client to lean forward This action is not related to the assessment of asterixis. Leaning forward can be part of the physical examination for other conditions, such as assessing for spinal issues or abdominal pain, but it does not provoke the characteristic flapping motion of the hands seen in asterixis.

Choice B: Ask the client to extend the arms This is the correct method to assess for asterixis. The patient is asked to extend their arms and dorsiflex their wrists. The nurse then observes for any involuntary flapping movements of the hands, which would indicate the presence of asterixis. This sign is indicative of a disturbance in the central nervous system’s regulation of muscle tone, often due to metabolic liver dysfunction. To assess for asterixis, the nurse should ask the client to extend their arms, which is the standard method for eliciting this sign. The presence of asterixis can help in the diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy and other metabolic conditions affecting the brain’s control of muscle tone.

Choice C: Dorsiflex the client’s foot Dorsiflexion of the foot is not a method used to assess for asterixis. While changes in muscle tone can be assessed in the lower limbs, asterixis is specifically a hand tremor and is best observed in the upper extremities.

Choice D: Measure the abdominal girth Measuring abdominal girth is relevant in the assessment of ascites, which can occur in cirrhosis, but it is not a method for assessing asterixis. Ascites refers to the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, leading to increased abdominal size, which is a common complication of cirrhosis.