A 22-year-old female patient recovering from a craniotomy begins crying and asking for her mother who is sleeping in the visitors' lounge. The patient's Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 15 and pupils are equal and reactive. What nursing action would be most appropriate at this time?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The patient is stable with a GCS of 15 and normal pupillary response, indicating no immediate neurological concern. Emotional distress after surgery is common, and having a family member present can provide comfort. Sedation or notifying the surgeon is unnecessary unless there are signs of neurological deterioration.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Diabetic neuropathy can cause a wide range of symptoms, including gastrointestinal issues like constipation or diarrhea, cardiovascular symptoms like rapid heart rate, and sensory symptoms like pain in the feet. This condition results from nerve damage due to high blood sugar levels. Recognizing these symptoms is essential for managing diabetes-related complications.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: facial nerve, CN VII. The facial nerve contains preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that innervate the lacrimal, submandibular, and sublingual glands. These fibers originate from the superior salivatory nucleus in the pons. Option A (optic nerve) is involved in vision and not related to parasympathetic function. Option C (trigeminal nerve) is primarily involved in sensory innervation of the face and motor function of the muscles of mastication. Option D (hypoglossal nerve) is responsible for motor control of the tongue and is not associated with parasympathetic fibers.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: muscarinic agonist. Atropine is an anticholinergic drug that blocks muscarinic receptors. Therefore, the antidote for atropine poisoning would be a muscarinic agonist, which competes with atropine for binding to muscarinic receptors and reverses its effects. Nicotinic agonist (A) would not be effective as atropine acts on muscarinic receptors, not nicotinic receptors. Anticholinergic (B) is the same class as atropine, so it would not counteract its effects. α-blocker (D) works on a different receptor system and would not be effective in treating atropine poisoning.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A (kuru) because kuru is a prion disease caused by misfolded proteins, not foreign nucleic acid. Polio, rabies, and St. Louis encephalitis are caused by viruses, which contain foreign nucleic acid. Prions do not contain nucleic acid and replicate by inducing misfolding of normal cellular proteins. Therefore, kuru does not require the introduction of foreign nucleic acid for its transmission and development.