Before palpating the bladder of a client with chronic urinary retention, the nurse should
a. have the client drink several glasses of water so the bladder is full and easy to palpate.
b. get the bladder scanner to determine if the bladder is full.
c. review intake and output instead; the bladder cannot be palpated at all.
d. ask the client to take a deep breath and relax the abdominal muscles.
B
An empty bladder cannot be palpated or percussed. However, in the case of chronic urinary retention, the bladder becomes atonic and difficult to palpate. The nurse will need to use the bladder scanner to determine if the bladder is full.
You might also like to view...
A patient has been administered immunosuppressant agents on a long-term basis to prevent the rejection of the bone marrow transplant. Which of the following assessments should be made routinely with the use of long-term immunosuppressant therapy?
A) Yearly bronchoscopy B) Yearly skin assessment C) Yearly bladder biopsy D) Yearly prostate examination
The nurse is caring for a client who is recovering from cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and is unable to move the right side of the body. Which term will the nurse use when documenting this client's condition?
1. Quadriplegia 2. Paraplegia 3. Hemiplegia 4. Paralysis
A client is admitted with the diagnosis of generalized anemia. This disorder is caused by: Select all that apply
1. A disruption in erythrocyte volume. 2. Decreased oxygen availability to the tissues. 3. Defective oxygenation in the lungs. 4. An airway obstruction. 5. Abnormal pulmonary function.
A low-income patient without insurance has been prescribed several different medications over several months for seizure control without any improvement. The patient indicates she has not experienced any adverse effects. At this point the nurse should
1. recommend nontypical drug use. 2. inform the patient that it might take years for the medications to work. 3. assess for medication compliance. 4. advise the patient to double the current dose.