A nurse is planning to teach a group of newly licensed nurses about hypermagnesemia. Which of the following manifestations should the nurse include in the teaching?

• 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.

Rationale:

A. Serum potassium: Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic that can cause hyperkalemia. Monitoring serum potassium is essential to detect elevated levels early and prevent cardiac complications.

B. Platelet count: Spironolactone does not significantly affect platelet production or function, so routine monitoring of platelets is not indicated for this medication.

C. Urine ketones: Ketone monitoring is relevant for clients with uncontrolled diabetes or ketosis, but it is not related to spironolactone therapy.

D. Total bilirubin: Bilirubin levels are used to assess liver function, which is not directly affected by spironolactone in most clients, so routine monitoring is not necessary unless the client has underlying hepatic disease.