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Gastrointestinal System NCLEX Questions
Which information about an 80-year-old man at the senior center is of most concern to the nurse?
- Decreased appetite
- Unintended weight loss
- Difficulty chewing food
- Complaints of indigestion - B
When caring for a patient with a history of a total gastrectomy, the nurse will monitor for
- constipation.
- dehydration.
- elevated total serum cholesterol.
- cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency. - D
The nurse will plan to monitor a patient with an obstructed common bile duct for
- melena.
- steatorrhea (fat in feces).
- decreased serum cholesterol levels.
d. increased serum indirect bilirubin levels. - ANS: B
A common bile duct obstruction will reduce the absorption of fat in the small intestine, leading to fatty stools
The nurse receives the following information about a 51-year-old woman who is scheduled for a colonoscopy. Which information should be communicated to the health care provider before sending the patient for the procedure?
- The patient has a permanent pacemaker to prevent bradycardia.
- The patient is worried about discomfort during the examination.
- The patient has had an allergic reaction to shellfish and iodine in the past.
- The patient refused to drink the ordered polyethylene glycol (GoLYTELY). - D
Which statement to the nurse from a patient with jaundice indicates a need for teaching?
- "I used cough syrup several times a day last week."
- "I take a baby aspirin every day to prevent strokes."
- "I use acetaminophen (Tylenol) every 4 hours for back pain."
- "I need to take an antacid for indigestion several times a week" - C
Which finding by the nurse during abdominal auscultation indicates a need for a focused abdominal assessment?
- Loud gurgles
- High-pitched gurgles
- Absent bowel sounds
- Frequent clicking sounds - C
A 42-year-old woman is admitted to the outpatient testing area for an ultrasound of the gallbladder. Which information obtained by the nurse indicates that the ultrasound may need to be rescheduled?
- The patient took a laxative the previous evening.
- The patient had a high-fat meal the previous evening.
- The patient has a permanent gastrostomy tube in place.
- The patient ate a low-fat bagel 4 hours ago for breakfast. - D
The nurse is assessing an alert and independent 78-year-old woman for malnutrition risk. The most appropriate initial question is which of the following?
- "How do you get to the store to buy your food?"
- "Can you tell me the food that you ate yesterday?"
- "Do you have any difficulty in preparing or eating food?"
- "Are you taking any medications that alter your taste for food?" - B
A 54-year-old man has just arrived in the recovery area after an upper endoscopy. Which information collected by the nurse is most important to communicate to the health care provider?
- The patient is very drowsy.
- The patient reports a sore throat.
- The oral temperature is 101.6° F.
- The apical pulse is 104 beats/minute. - C
A 30-year-old man is being admitted to the hospital for elective knee surgery. Which assessment finding is most important to report to the health care provider?
- Tympany on percussion of the abdomen
- Liver edge 3 cm below the costal margin
- Bowel sounds of 20/minute in each quadrant
- Aortic pulsations visible in the epigastric area - B
A 58-year-old woman has just returned to the nursing unit after an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Which action by unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) requires that the registered nurse (RN) intervene?
- Offering the patient a drink of water
- Positioning the patient on the right side
- Checking the vital signs every 30 minutes
- Swabbing the patient's mouth with cold water - A
While interviewing a 30-year-old man, the nurse learns that the patient has a family history of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The nurse will plan to assess the patient's knowledge about
- preventing noninfectious hepatitis.
- treating inflammatory bowel disease.
- risk for developing colorectal cancer.
- using antacids and proton pump inhibitors. - C
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