A nurse is assessing a patient with bulimia nervosa. Which of the following cardiovascular symptoms would the nurse expect to find?

Choice A rationale:

Stabilizing the patient's physical condition. For individuals with severe eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa, the priority is often to address their physical health and stabilize any medical complications arising from malnutrition. This might involve medical interventions, nutritional rehabilitation, and closely monitoring vital signs to prevent serious health consequences.

Choice B rationale:

Addressing the psychological aspects of the disorder. While addressing the psychological aspects is an integral part of treating eating disorders, it's crucial to prioritize physical health when dealing with severe cases. Malnutrition can lead to various medical complications, including electrolyte imbalances, organ damage, and cardiac issues. Without addressing the physical health first, psychological interventions might be less effective.

Choice C rationale:

Preventing relapse and maintaining recovery. Preventing relapse and maintaining recovery are important aspects of long-term treatment, but they become more relevant after the patient's physical condition has been stabilized. Once the immediate physical risks are minimized, efforts can shift toward addressing psychological factors and developing strategies to prevent relapse.

Choice D rationale:

Providing ongoing follow-up care. Ongoing follow-up care is essential for individuals with eating disorders to ensure that they continue to progress in their recovery journey and to monitor any potential relapse signs. However, this becomes more pertinent once the patient's physical condition has been stabilized and initial treatment has been provided.

Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.

Choice A rationale:

Eating until feeling uncomfortably full is a characteristic of binge eating disorder. Binge eating involves consuming an excessive amount of food within a discrete period while feeling a lack of control over eating. This often results in physical discomfort due to the large quantity of food consumed.

Choice B rationale:

Recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors are more characteristic of bulimia nervosa, not binge eating disorder. In binge eating disorder, there is no consistent use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as vomiting or excessive exercise to counteract the binge episodes.

Choice C rationale:

Eating more rapidly than normal can be a characteristic of binge eating episodes, but it is not a defining feature of binge eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is primarily characterized by the consumption of large amounts of food within a short period and the sense of lack of control during these episodes.

Choice D rationale:

Recurrent episodes of night eating is not a characteristic of binge eating disorder. Night eating disorder is a separate condition characterized by consuming a significant portion of daily caloric intake during the nighttime hours.

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