While providing care for a patient who has recently completed chemotherapy for colorectal cancer, the nurse notes the patient has an elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. How should the nurse interpret this test result?
a. The patient is cured.
b. The patient has a residual or recurrent tumor.
c. The liver has been damaged by chemotherapy.
d. The patient should be placed in protective isolation.
ANS: B
CEA and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 are markers used to monitor gastrointestinal (GI) cancer treatment effectiveness and detect recurrence. A. An elevated level does not indicate that the patient is cured. C. An elevated CEA level would not be seen in the absence of disease and does not indicate liver function. D. Extremely low white blood cell counts would be used to determine if the patient needed to be placed in protective isolation.
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A gerontologic nurse practitioner frequently cares for patients with heart disease and is aware that it is the leading cause of death in the aged. This is due in part to which of the following?
A) Heart muscle and arteries lose their elasticity. B) Systolic blood pressure decreases. C) Resting heart rate decreases with age. D) The aged are less likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Which of the following statements describe accurate information about family-focused communication? A nurse's communication with a family:
1. Usually focuses on the individual family member with an illness. 2. Usually begins with a nurse sharing personal information. 3. Aims to develop a caring relationship that sees the individual and family as the unit of care. 4. Most often requires a nurse to determine the direction for family-focused communication.
An adult patient receiving diuretics for hypertension has developed hearing loss. The nurse realizes that this is a side effect of the drug. This action has occurred during which step of the nursing process?
A. Assessment B. Analysis C. Planning D. Implementation E. Evaluation
A patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus voided 4,000 mL of urine in the past 24 hours. The patient's skin turgor is poor, and the patient is reporting polyphagia and polydipsia
Which blood glucose level should the nurse expect when assessing this patient? 1. 60 mg/dL 2. 110 mg/dL 3. 125 mg/dL 4. 180 mg/dL