Certified Gastroenterology RN Certified Gastroenterology RN GI Nutrition and Therapeutic Diets Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which diet is most appropriate for a patient with newly diagnosed Celiac disease?
- Low-fat diet
- Gluten-free diet (Correct answer)
- Low-residue diet
- High-fiber diet
Correct answer: Gluten-free diet
Celiac disease requires a strict lifelong gluten-free diet to prevent intestinal damage caused by immune reaction to gluten.
Question 2: A patient with Crohn's disease is experiencing an acute flare. Which nutritional intervention is most appropriate?
- High-fiber oral diet
- Enteral nutrition via nasogastric tube (Correct answer)
- Increased dairy intake
- High-fat diet
Correct answer: Enteral nutrition via nasogastric tube
Enteral nutrition provides bowel rest while delivering adequate nutrients and has been shown to reduce inflammation in Crohn's disease flares.
Question 3: Which electrolyte imbalance is most commonly associated with prolonged diarrhea in GI patients?
- Hyperkalemia
- Hypokalemia (Correct answer)
- Hypernatremia
- Hypercalcemia
Correct answer: Hypokalemia
Prolonged diarrhea causes significant potassium loss through the GI tract, leading to hypokalemia.
Question 4: A patient with short bowel syndrome is at greatest risk for deficiency of which vitamin?
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B12 (Correct answer)
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin A
Correct answer: Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is absorbed in the terminal ileum, which is often resected in short bowel syndrome, leading to deficiency.
Question 5: Which nutritional supplement is recommended for patients with hepatic encephalopathy to help manage ammonia levels?
- High-protein shakes
- Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) (Correct answer)
- Medium-chain triglycerides
- Iron supplements
Correct answer: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)
BCAAs are metabolized in muscle rather than the liver, helping to reduce ammonia production and improve hepatic encephalopathy.
Question 6: A patient receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) develops elevated liver enzymes. The nurse should recognize this as a sign of which complication?
- Line sepsis
- TPN-associated liver disease (Correct answer)
- Hypoglycemia
- Fluid overload
Correct answer: TPN-associated liver disease
TPN-associated liver disease (TPNALD) is a well-recognized complication of long-term TPN, characterized by hepatic steatosis and cholestasis.
Which diet is most appropriate for a patient with newly diagnosed Celiac disease?