Chapter 37 Bowel Elimination

Chapter 37  Bowel Elimination

Complete Chapter Questions And Answers
 

Sample Questions

1.
The nursing instructor informs a student nurse that a client she is caring for has a chronic neurologic condition that decreases the client’s peristalsis. What nursing diagnosis is the most likely risk for this client?
A)
Constipation
B)
Diarrhea
C)
Deficient fluid volume
D)
Excessive fluid volume
Ans:
A

Feedback:

Peristalsis is defined as the contractions of the circular and longitudinal muscles of the intestine. Decreased peristalsis will result in constipation because the movement of the fecal mass will occur at a slower rate and more fluid will be absorbed in the colon.

2.
During defecation, the client experiences decreased cardiac output related to the Valsalva maneuver. After the Valsalva maneuver, the nurse assesses the client’s vital signs and expects to observe which of the following?
A)
An increase in the client’s blood pressure
B)
A decrease in the client’s blood pressure
C)
An increase in the client’s respiratory rate
D)
A decrease in the client’s respiratory rate
Ans:
A

Feedback:

When an individual bears down to defecate, the increased pressures in the abdominal and thoracic cavities result in a decreased blood flow and a temporary decrease in cardiac output. Once the bearing down ceases, the pressure is lessened, and a larger than normal amount of blood returns to the heart; this act elevates the client’s blood pressure.

3.
While caring for an infant who is breast-fed, the nurse assesses the characteristics of the stools. What stool characteristics are expected in breast-fed infants?
A)
Golden yellow and loose
B)
Dark brown and firm
C)
Yellow-brown and pasty
D)
Green and mucusy
Ans:
A

Feedback:

Breast-fed infants have more frequent stools, and the stools are yellow to golden, loose, and usually have little odor. With formula or cow’s milk feedings, infants’ stools vary from yellow to brown and are pasty in consistency.

4.
Which type of stool would the nurse assess in a client with an illness that causes the stool to pass through the large intestine quickly?
A)
Hard, formed
B)
Black, tarry
C)
Soft, watery
D)
Dry, odorous
Ans:
C

Feedback:

About 800 to 1,000 mL of liquid is absorbed daily by the large intestine. When absorption does not occur properly, such as when the waste products pass through the large intestine rapidly, the stool is soft and watery.

5.
A nurse is assessing the stools of a breastfed baby. What is the appearance of normal stools for this baby?
A)
Yellow, loose, odorless
B)
Brown, paste-like, some odor
C)
Brown, formed, strong odor
D)
Black, semiformed, no odor
Ans:
A

Feedback:

Breast-fed babies have more frequent stools, and the stools are yellow to golden and loose, usually with little odor. Breast-fed babies can normally have 2 to 10 stools per day.