A nurse is caring for a client who has a spinal cord injury and has absent bowel sounds in the lower abdominal quadrants. Which of the following actions should the nurse perform?

Choice A Reason:

Weight loss is inappropriate. Weight loss can occur in individuals with COPD, particularly in advanced stages of the disease. Factors contributing to weight loss may include decreased appetite, increased energy expenditure due to labored breathing, and muscle wasting.

Choice B Reason:

Poor nutrition is inappropriate. Poor nutrition is a significant risk factor in COPD. Individuals with COPD may experience difficulties with eating due to dyspnea, fatigue, and reduced appetite. Malnutrition can lead to muscle weakness, decreased immune function, and worsened respiratory status.

Choice C Reason:

Muscle dysfunction is inappropriate: Muscle dysfunction, particularly skeletal muscle dysfunction, is common in COPD. Reduced physical activity, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic abnormalities contribute to muscle wasting and weakness in individuals with COPD.

Choice D Reason

.Increased risk for pneumonia is incorrect. Individuals with COPD are at an increased risk for respiratory infections, including pneumonia. COPD-related factors such as impaired mucociliary clearance, airway inflammation, and reduced lung function predispose patients to respiratory infections.

Choice A Reason:

A client with a decreased potassium level is incorrect. Hypokalemia (decreased potassium level) can cause various neurological symptoms, but it doesn't directly lead to osmotic cerebral edema.

Choice B Reason:

When plasma glucose levels are rapidly lowered, an osmotic gradient develops between the brain and plasma, which can lead to cerebral edema.Brain cells pull water from the plasma, resulting in widespread edema.

Choice C Reason:

While HbA1c is an important marker of diabetes control and may indicate poor long-term management, it does not directly relate to the acute metabolic derangements (e.g., rapid osmotic shifts, severity of acidosis) that predispose to cerebral edema in DKA.

Choice D Reason:

A client with an increased creatinine level is incorrect. Elevated creatinine levels typically indicate kidney dysfunction or dehydration, but they don't directly cause osmotic cerebral edema.