An older adult patient takes digoxin and hydrochlorothiazide daily, as well as lorazepam (Ativan) as needed for anxiety. Over 2 days, the patient developed confusion, slurred speech, an unsteady gait, and fluctuating levels of orientation
These findings are most characteristic of:
a. delirium
b. dementia
c. amnestic syndrome
d. Alzheimer's disease
ANS: A
Delirium is characterized by an abrupt onset of fluctuating levels of awareness, clouded consciousness, perceptual disturbances, and disturbed memory and orientation. The onset of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia, is more insidious. Amnestic syndrome involves memory impairment without other cognitive problems.
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After teaching a client who has alcohol-induced cirrhosis, a nurse assesses the client's understanding. Which statement made by the client indicates a need for additional teaching?
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When checking the patient's back, the nurse pushes her thumb into the patient's sacrum. An indentation remains. The nurse charts that the patient has
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