A client with liver cirrhosis is experiencing episodes of hepatic encephalopathy. Which medication should the nurse anticipate administering to help reduce ammonia levels in the blood?

A) While adequate protein intake is necessary for overall health, excessive protein intake may worsen hepatic encephalopathy in some clients with liver cirrhosis. The priority for this client is to avoid alcohol consumption, not necessarily to increase protein intake.

B) Clients with liver cirrhosis and associated ascites should be on a low-sodium diet to reduce fluid retention and prevent complications related to ascites.

C) Limiting fluid intake is not a standard recommendation for clients with liver cirrhosis. Instead, clients with ascites may be advised to follow a low-sodium diet and, if necessary, restrict fluid intake under the guidance of their healthcare provider.

D) For a client with liver cirrhosis, the most crucial dietary modification is to restrict alcohol consumption completely. Alcohol is a major contributing factor to liver damage and can exacerbate cirrhosis. Abstinence from alcohol is essential to prevent further liver injury and improve the client's overall prognosis.

A) Transient elastography is not used to assess esophageal varices. Endoscopy is the primary method for diagnosing and grading the severity of esophageal varices in clients with liver cirrhosis.

B) Transient elastography is primarily used to assess the degree of liver fibrosis, not to evaluate liver function or enzyme levels. Liver function and enzyme levels are typically evaluated through blood tests, such as liver function tests (LFTs), which measure liver enzymes, bilirubin, albumin, and other markers of liver health and function.

C) Transient elastography is a non-invasive imaging technique used to assess liver stiffness, which correlates with the degree of fibrosis in the liver. It provides information about the presence and severity of liver fibrosis, aiding in the diagnosis and staging of liver cirrhosis.

D) Transient elastography is not used to identify hepatic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy is a neuropsychiatric complication of advanced liver disease, and its diagnosis is based on clinical assessment, mental status evaluation, and laboratory tests. Transient elastography is not involved in identifying or diagnosing hepatic encephalopathy.