A patient with pancreatitis asks the nurse, "Why are my stools so frothy and smell so bad?" How should the nurse respond?
1. "This is a sign of malnutrition."
2. "This indicates your stools have more fat in them."
3. "This is a sign of peptic ulcer disease."
4. "You may be developing diabetes mellitus."
Correct Answer: 2
Steatorrhea is fatty, frothy, smelly stools associated with pancreatitis. It is caused by a decrease in pancreatic enzyme secretion; fat in the GI tract is not absorbed properly and a greater than normal amount of fat is excreted in the stool, causing the symptoms of steatorrhea. Pancreatitis can lead to malnutrition, but steatorrhea is not a sign of malnutrition. Peptic ulcer disease can be related to pancreatitis, but it is not related to steatorrhea. Diabetes mellitus causes increased urine production and could be the result of pancreatitis, but it does not affect stool characteristics.
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