What serum electrolyte imbalance should the nurse anticipate in a client with Addison’s disease?

Choice A rationale

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the small intestine. It is triggered by the consumption of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It does not typically cause multiple painless whitish nodules in the mouth.

Choice B rationale

Periodontitis is a severe gum infection that damages the soft tissue and destroys the bone that supports your teeth. It does not typically cause multiple painless whitish nodules in the mouth.

Choice C rationale

Oral cancer can present as multiple painless whitish nodules in the mouth. Risk factors for oral cancer include tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption.

Choice D rationale

Oral thrush, also known as oral candidiasis, is a condition in which the fungus Candida albicans accumulates on the lining of the mouth. While it can cause white lesions in the mouth, these are typically creamy and can be painful.

Choice A rationale

The pituitary hormones releasing antidiuretic hormone in response to hypothyroid signaling, resulting in extensive diuresis, is not a known complication of myxedema. Myxedema is a severe form of hypothyroidism characterized by an underactive thyroid, not an overactive pituitary gland.

Choice B rationale

Myxedema coma, a rare but life-threatening complication of myxedema, can indeed be triggered by illness or trauma, leading to an exaggeration of hypothyroid symptoms. This can include severe hypotension, seizures, and/or coma. This condition is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment.

Choice C rationale

Over secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH) leading to increased excretion of T3 and T4 with dangerous cardiac symptoms is not associated with myxedema. Instead, this scenario is more likely to occur in hyperthyroidism, a condition characterized by an overactive thyroid, not an underactive one.

Choice D rationale

The heart not allowing proper flow of fluid throughout the body due to elevated levels of circulating thyroid hormone is not a characteristic of myxedema. In myxedema, the levels of thyroid hormones are low, not high.