The nurse is caring for an adolescent girl with anorexia nervosa. Which of the following findings would indicate to the nurse that the girl requires hospitalization?

Question

A) Weight gain of one-half pound per week
B) Food refusal
C) Body mass index of 18
D) Soft, sparse body hair and dry, sallow skin

Answer 1

B
Feedback:
Food refusal, severe weight loss, unstable vital signs, arrested pubertal development, and the need for enteral nutrition warrant hospitalization. Soft, sparse body hair and dry, sallow skin are signs of anorexia, but do not warrant hospitalization. A weight gain of one-half pound per week indicates progress toward therapeutic goals. A body mass index of 18 is on the low end of the normal range of body mass.