Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary Emergencies Flashcards
7 cards from real CEN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary Emergencies flashcards as text
A patient with a history of heavy alcohol use presents with epigastric pain radiating to the back, nausea, and vomiting. Serum lipase is 1,800 U/L. What is the priority nursing intervention?
Answer: Establish IV access and initiate aggressive fluid resuscitation
Aggressive IV fluid resuscitation is the cornerstone of acute pancreatitis management to prevent hypovolemia, systemic inflammatory response, and organ failure.
A 17-year-old male presents with sudden onset severe scrotal pain without trauma, nausea, and vomiting. The affected testicle is high-riding with a horizontal lie. The nurse's priority action is:
Answer: Prepare the patient for emergent surgical consultation
Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency requiring manual detorsion or operative intervention within 4-6 hours to preserve testicular viability.
Which ECG finding in a dialysis patient with missed sessions is most immediately life-threatening?
Answer: Peaked T waves with widened QRS
Peaked T waves with widened QRS indicate severe hyperkalemia with impending cardiac dysrhythmia, requiring immediate calcium gluconate administration.
A patient with suspected hyperkalemia (K+ 7.1 mEq/L) and peaked T waves on ECG is being treated. What is the priority first intervention?
Answer: Administer calcium gluconate IV
Calcium gluconate IV is the immediate priority as it stabilizes cardiac membranes within minutes, protecting against fatal dysrhythmias before potassium-lowering measures take effect.
Which urine finding best differentiates prerenal azotemia from intrinsic renal failure?
Answer: Urine sodium <20 mEq/L with concentrated urine indicates prerenal
Urine sodium <20 mEq/L indicates prerenal azotemia because functional kidneys are avidly conserving sodium in response to reduced renal perfusion.
A patient with ureteral calculi presents with colicky right flank pain radiating to the groin and hematuria. Which analgesic strategy is most effective?
Answer: IV ketorolac combined with IV opioid analgesics
Combination IV NSAID (ketorolac) and opioid therapy provides superior analgesia for renal colic by addressing both smooth muscle spasm and pain transmission.
A patient presents with painless bright red rectal bleeding noticed only on toilet paper after defecation, without abdominal pain or change in bowel habits. Which condition is most likely?
Answer: Internal hemorrhoids
Internal hemorrhoids commonly cause painless bright red bleeding on toilet paper because they are above the dentate line, where somatic pain fibers are absent.