The nurse assesses a patient's bowel patterns and stools after he has returned from a barium enema study. Which of the following findings based upon the assessment of the stool will the nurse report to the physician?
A) Large, wide stools
B) Milky white stools
C) Three stools during an 8-hour period of time
D) Stools with streaks of blood throughout the fecal material
Ans: D
Feedback: Barium has a high osmolarity and may draw fluid into the bowel, thus increasing the intraluminal contents and resulting in greater output (large stools). The barium gives the stools a milky white appearance, and it is not uncommon for the patient to experience an increase in the number of bowel movements. Blood in fecal matter is not an expected finding and the nurse should notify the physician.
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