ATI LPN
Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017)
Chapter 43 : Assessment of Digestive and Gastrointestinal Function Questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is caring for a patient admitted with a suspected malabsorption disorder. The nurse knows that one of the accessory organs of the digestive system is the pancreas. What digestive enzymes does the pancreas secrete?
Correct Answer: B,C,D
Rationale: Digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas include trypsin, which aids in digesting protein; amylase, which aids in digesting starch; and lipase, which aids in digesting fats. Pepsin is secreted by the stomach and ptyalin is secreted in the saliva.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse is caring for a patient with a duodenal ulcer and is relating the patient's symptoms to the physiologic functions of the small intestine. What do these functions include?
Correct Answer: C,D,E
Rationale: The small intestine folds back and forth on itself, providing approximately 7000 cm^2 (70 m^2) of surface area for secretion and absorption, the process by which nutrients enter the bloodstream through the intestinal walls. Water reabsorption primarily takes place in the large bowel. HCl is secreted by the stomach.
Question 3 of 5
A nurse is performing an abdominal assessment of an older adult patient. When collecting and analyzing data, the nurse should be cognizant of what age-related change in gastrointestinal structure and function?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Older adults tend to secrete less mucus than younger adults. Gastric motility slows with age and gastric pH rises due to decreased secretion of gastric acids. Older adults tend to have a blunted gag reflex compared to younger adults.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse educator is reviewing the blood supply of the GI tract with a group of medical nurses. The nurse is explaining the fact that the veins that return blood from the digestive organs and the spleen form the portal venous system. What large veins will the nurse list when describing this system?
Correct Answer: A,B,C
Rationale: This portal venous system is composed of five large veins: the superior mesenteric, inferior mesenteric, gastric, splenic, and cystic veins, which eventually form the vena portac that enters the liver. The inferior vena cava is not part of the portal system. The saphenous vein is located in the leg.
Question 5 of 5
The physiology instructor is discussing the GI system with the pre-nursing class. What should the instructor describe as a major function of the GI tract?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Primary functions of the GI tract include the breakdown of food particles into molecular form for digestion; the absorption into the bloodstream of small nutrient molecules produced by digestion; and the elimination of undigested unabsorbed food stuffs and other waste products. Nutrients must be broken down into molecular form, not cell form. Fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance are primarily under the control of the kidneys.