A nurse in an acute care facility is caring for a toddler.
For each assessment finding below, click to specify if the assessment finding is consistent with Crohn's disease, appendicitis, or intussusception. Each finding may support more than 1 disease process.
Temperature
Vomiting
Pain rating
Abdominal findings
Stool
The Correct Answer is {"A":{"answers":"None"},"B":{"answers":"B,C"},"C":{"answers":"None"},"D":{"answers":"C"},"E":{"answers":"A,C"}}
- Temperature: A temperature of 37.4°C is within normal limits and does not specifically support any of the three conditions. While low-grade fever may be seen in appendicitis or Crohn’s flares, the absence of fever at this time limits its diagnostic value in this case.
- Vomiting: Vomiting in intussusception is common and often non-bilious in early stages, aligning with the child's light-colored emesis. Vomiting also occurs in appendicitis, especially in the early stages. However, it is not a prominent or early symptom of Crohn’s disease unless obstruction is present.
- Pain rating: Severe, intermittent abdominal pain where the child draws their knees to the chest and then returns to normal behavior is a classic symptom of intussusception. Neither Crohn’s disease nor appendicitis typically presents with this pattern, appendicitis pain is usually constant and worsening, while Crohn’s pain is chronic and non-episodic.
- Abdominal findings: A distended abdomen with hypoactive bowel sounds and a palpable sausage-shaped mass in the right upper quadrant is highly indicative of intussusception. These findings are not characteristic of appendicitis, which usually involves RLQ pain, or Crohn’s, which rarely presents with a discrete palpable mass.
- Stool: The presence of blood and mucus in the stool ("currant jelly stool") is strongly associated with intussusception and may also occur in Crohn’s disease during flares due to colonic inflammation. Appendicitis does not typically cause bloody or mucoid stools, making this finding inconsistent with that diagnosis.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Apply lidocaine gel around the incision: Topical lidocaine is generally used for localized superficial pain, not for deep postoperative pain following major joint surgery. Its effectiveness for a knee arthroplasty incision is limited.
B. Attach a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit around the incision: TENS units can help with some types of pain but are more effective for chronic musculoskeletal pain rather than acute postoperative pain.
C. Place a cold pack over the incision: Cold therapy reduces inflammation, swelling, and pain in the immediate postoperative period. It is a safe and effective nonpharmacological intervention for mild to moderate pain following knee arthroplasty.
D. Assist the client for a walk in the hallway: Early ambulation is important for preventing complications and promoting recovery, but it may initially increase pain when the client is only 4 hours post-surgery. Cold therapy is more appropriate for immediate pain relief.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Rationale:
A. Increased creatinine: Chronic kidney disease reduces the kidneys’ ability to filter waste products effectively, causing creatinine to accumulate in the blood. Elevated creatinine is a key indicator of declining renal function and is expected in this condition.
B. Increased calcium: Clients with chronic kidney disease often have decreased calcium levels due to impaired vitamin D activation and phosphate retention. Increased calcium would be unusual unless the client is receiving supplementation.
C. Increased bicarbonate: Metabolic acidosis is common in chronic kidney disease because the kidneys cannot adequately excrete hydrogen ions or reabsorb bicarbonate. This typically results in decreased, not increased, bicarbonate levels in the blood.
D. Increased hemoglobin: Anemia frequently occurs in chronic kidney disease due to reduced erythropoietin production by the kidneys. This leads to lower hemoglobin levels, so an increase would not be expected unless treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.
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