When evaluating the lab work of a client in hepatic coma, which of the following lab tests is most important?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: When a client is in hepatic coma due to liver failure, the liver cannot metabolize amino acids completely, leading to elevated ammonia levels. Increased ammonia can cause brain-tissue irritation, worsening the coma. Therefore, monitoring serum ammonia levels is crucial in assessing the severity of hepatic coma. Choices A, B, and D are less relevant in the context of hepatic coma. Blood urea nitrogen primarily assesses kidney function, serum calcium levels are not directly related to hepatic coma, and serum creatinine is more indicative of kidney function rather than liver function in this scenario.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The right to confidentiality of client information might be breached when client care situations are discussed in public areas or without regard to maintaining the information as private and confidential. In this scenario, the conversation on the elevator could lead to a breach of the client's right to confidentiality. The other options, such as the right to refuse treatment, right to continuity of care, and right to reasonable responses to requests, are not being breached in this instance, making them incorrect choices.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Cirrhosis is the correct answer. In cirrhosis, the liver is unable to detoxify ammonia to urea, leading to an accumulation of ammonia in the blood. This can result in hepatic encephalopathy, a condition characterized by high ammonia levels affecting brain function. Renal failure (Choice A), psoriasis (Choice B), and lupus (Choice C) are not directly associated with an increased risk of high ammonia levels as seen in cirrhosis.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Ethics committees primarily focus on addressing ethical dilemmas in healthcare. Issues like euthanasia, decisions regarding starting or stopping treatment, and the use of feeding tubes for nutritional support involve complex ethical considerations related to patient care and end-of-life decisions, which are commonly deliberated by ethics committees. However, nonpayment of bills is a financial matter and falls outside the typical scope of ethics committees' functions.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: In a situation where a client has no family members and the client's wife is mentally incompetent, the healthcare provider may write a DNR order if it is deemed medically certain that resuscitation would be futile. A DNR order is a medical directive that instructs healthcare providers not to perform CPR if a patient's heart stops or if the patient stops breathing. Option A is correct because a DNR order can indeed be issued by a healthcare provider under certain circumstances, as it is a medical decision. Options B, C, and D are incorrect as they do not accurately reflect the concept of DNR orders and the decision-making process involved in such situations.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Monitoring an intravenous infusion involves assessing for complications, adjusting the flow rate, and monitoring the client's response, which requires the knowledge and skills of a licensed nurse (RN or LPN). Tasks that can be delegated to nursing assistants or unlicensed assistive personnel include assisting a client to the bathroom, offering fluids, and recording fluid intake. These activities are within the scope of practice for UAPs as they do not involve the specialized knowledge and training needed for intravenous infusion monitoring.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Mammography is specifically used to detect tumors or abnormal growths, especially in breast tissue. It is not a tool for identifying pain, edema, or epilepsy. Therefore, the correct answer is 'tumor.' Pain is a symptom, edema is swelling, and epilepsy is a neurological disorder; none of these are conditions typically detected through mammography.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Vomiting bile is not typically a sign of internal bleeding but is more commonly associated with issues in the gastrointestinal tract. Signs of internal bleeding include painful or swollen extremities, a tender, rigid abdomen, and bruising. Painful or swollen extremities can indicate bleeding from an extremity injury, a tender, rigid abdomen can signal abdominal bleeding, and bruising can result from blood vessel damage. Therefore, the correct answer is 'C: vomiting bile,' as it is not a typical sign of internal bleeding.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Colace is a stool softener that acts by pulling more water into the bowel lumen, making the stool soft and easier to evacuate. In the given scenario of constipation in an immobilized client, a stool softener like Colace is the appropriate choice to help facilitate bowel movements. Advil and Anasaid are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used for pain relief, not for constipation. Clinocil is not a recognized medication for constipation relief.