Which body substance should the nurse observe to evaluate the effectiveness of pancreatic enzyme replacement for a patient with chronic pancreatitis?

Choice A rationale

Anemia due to excessive blood loss during surgery can lead to a variety of symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is fatigue. This is because anemia results in a decrease in the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to the body’s tissues, leading to a lack of energy and feelings of exhaustion. Therefore, a nurse should expect to find fatigue in a postoperative client who has anemia due to excessive blood loss during surgery.
Choice B rationale
Bradycardia, or a slower than normal heart rate, is not typically associated with anemia. Instead, anemia can actually lead to tachycardia, or a faster than normal heart rate, as the body tries to compensate for the decreased oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.
Choice C rationale
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is not a typical finding in patients with anemia. In fact, in severe cases, anemia can lead to hypotension, or low blood pressure, due to a decrease in the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
Choice D rationale
Diarrhea is not a common symptom of anemia. Anemia due to excessive blood loss during surgery is more likely to result in symptoms related to a lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues, such as fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.

Choice C rationale
Hepatic encephalopathy is a condition that can cause confusion or delirium in patients with end-stage liver disease and increasing ascites. It occurs when the liver is unable to remove toxins from the blood, such as ammonia, which can then accumulate in the brain and affect mental function. This condition is common in patients with cirrhosis or end-stage liver disease, and can manifest as confusion, changes in sleep patterns, mood alterations, and, in severe cases, coma.
Choice A rationale
While dementia can cause confusion and changes in mental status, it is typically a progressive condition that develops over time. In the context of a patient with end-stage liver failure and

increasing ascites who is usually lucid, a sudden onset of confusion or delirium is more likely to be due to a condition related to their liver disease, such as hepatic encephalopathy.
Choice B rationale
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self, and behavior. It is not typically associated with end-stage liver disease or ascites. In the context of a patient with end-stage liver failure and increasing ascites who is usually lucid, a sudden onset of confusion or delirium is more likely to be due to a condition related to their liver disease, such as hepatic encephalopathy.
Choice D rationale
While a urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause confusion, especially in older adults, it would not typically be the primary suspect in a patient with end-stage liver failure and increasing ascites. In such a patient, hepatic encephalopathy is a more likely cause of confusion or delirium.