Gastrointestinal Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real MSNCB 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 Nursing flashcards as text
A patient with Crohn's disease is admitted with a fistula between the bowel and bladder. Which assessment finding is most characteristic of an enterovesical fistula?
Answer: Pneumaturia and fecaluria
Pneumaturia (air in urine) and fecaluria (fecal matter in urine) are hallmark signs of an enterovesical fistula.
A nurse is caring for a patient post-Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy). Which early complication requires immediate reporting to the surgeon?
Answer: Amylase-rich drain output exceeding 3× normal serum amylase
Drain amylase >3× the upper limit of normal serum amylase on post-op day 3 or later indicates a clinically relevant pancreatic fistula.
When teaching a patient with celiac disease, the nurse emphasizes avoiding which grain?
Answer: Barley
Barley contains hordein, a gluten protein that triggers the autoimmune response in celiac disease.
A patient with cirrhosis develops asterixis and confusion. The nurse anticipates which intervention as the priority?
Answer: Initiate lactulose therapy
Lactulose reduces intestinal ammonia absorption and is the first-line treatment for hepatic encephalopathy.
Which stool characteristic is most associated with an upper GI bleed?
Answer: Tarry, black, malodorous stool
Melena (tarry, black, malodorous stool) results from digestion of blood as it transits the GI tract from an upper source.
A patient is prescribed total parenteral nutrition (TPN) via a central line. The nurse should monitor most closely for which metabolic complication during the first 24 hours?
Answer: Refeeding syndrome with hypophosphatemia
Refeeding syndrome causes rapid intracellular shifts of phosphate, potassium, and magnesium when nutrition is restarted after starvation.
A patient returns from colonoscopy with polypectomy. Which assessment finding requires immediate intervention?
Answer: Firm, board-like abdomen with rebound tenderness
A rigid, board-like abdomen with rebound tenderness suggests bowel perforation, a surgical emergency.