A nurse is caring for a child who has acute glomerulonephritis.
Which of the following actions is the nurse’s priority?
A.
Check the child’s daily weight.
B.
Educate the parents about potential complications.
C.
Place the child on a no-salt-added diet.
D.
Maintain a saline lock.
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is A. Check the child’s daily weight.
Explanation:
Acute glomerulonephritis (AGN) is a condition characterized by inflammation of the glomeruli in the kidneys, which can significantly impact renal function. The primary concerns in managing a child with AGN are monitoring fluid status, managing symptoms, and preventing complications. Among the listed options, checking the child’s daily weight is the most critical priority for the nurse. Here’s why:
- Fluid Retention and Edema: AGN often leads to fluid retention due to the kidneys’ impaired ability to filter out excess fluid. This fluid retention can manifest as edema (swelling) in various parts of the body. Regularly monitoring the child’s weight helps in assessing the extent of fluid retention or loss. Significant changes in weight can indicate worsening or improvement of the condition and guide further treatment decisions.
- Assessment of Treatment Effectiveness: Weight changes provide immediate feedback on the effectiveness of treatment strategies, such as diuretics or dietary modifications. For example, if the child is on a restricted sodium diet or receiving diuretics, monitoring weight helps evaluate whether these interventions are effectively managing fluid overload.
- Preventing Complications: Rapid weight gain due to fluid retention can lead to complications such as hypertension or heart failure. By closely monitoring daily weight, the nurse can promptly identify these risks and initiate appropriate interventions.
While educating parents about potential complications (Option B) and maintaining a saline lock (Option D) are important aspects of care, they are secondary to the immediate need to monitor fluid balance through daily weight checks. Placing the child on a no-salt-added diet (Option C) is also important, but it is part of the broader management strategy that includes monitoring weight to gauge its effectiveness.
In summary, daily weight monitoring is crucial for managing AGN because it provides critical information on fluid status, helps assess treatment effectiveness, and allows for early intervention to prevent complications.