An elderly patient tells the nurse that she is "always cold" which angers her husband because she wants to keep her home warmer. Which of the following does this patient's complaint suggest to the nurse?
1. The patient has an infection and a fever.
2. The patient is dehydrated.
3. The patient is sleep deprived.
4. The patient is experiencing a change in thermoregulation as a normal part of aging.
4
Rationale: As a person ages, normal integumentary status changes include a decrease in dermal and epidermal thickness. This can lead to a change in thermoregulation leading to hypo or hyperthermia. The patient is complaining of "being cold" which indicates a change in thermoregulation. There is not enough information to determine if the patient has an infection or a fever. There is less water content in the body as a person ages; however there is not enough information to determine if the patient is dehydrated. There is also not enough information to determine if the patient is sleep deprived.
You might also like to view...
A client is a Black male of Jamaican heritage. What would be true regarding this client?
1. The client's race is Jamaican and his ethnicity is Black. 2. The client's race is Black and his ethnicity is Jamaican. 3. The client's race is Jamaican and his ethnicity is Jamaican. 4. The client's race is Black and his ethnicity is Black.
A patient with acute kidney injury (AKI) has longer QRS intervals on the electrocardiogram (ECG) than were noted on the previous shift. Which action should the nurse take first?
a. Notify the patient's health care provider. b. Document the QRS interval measurement. c. Check the medical record for most recent potassium level. d. Check the chart for the patient's current creatinine level.
A patient who has recently begun taking lithium (Lithibid) calls the clinic to report nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and drowsiness. What will the nurse do next?
a. Contact the provider to obtain an order for a serum lithium level. b. Reassure the patient that these symptoms are common and transient. c. Tell the patient that the lithium dose is probably too low. d. Tell the patient to stop taking the medication immediately.
A group of students are reviewing an article describing information related to indicators for women's health and the results of a national study
Which of the following would the students identify as being satisfactory for women? Select all that apply. A) Smoking cessation B) Colorectal cancer screening C) Violence against women D) Health insurance coverage E) Mammograms