The nurse caring for a patient with hepatic encephalopathy assesses that the patient exhibits episodes of confusion, is difficult to arouse from sleep, has rigid extremities, and EEG abnormalities
Based upon these clinical findings, what is the patient's stage of hepatic encephalopathy?
A) Stage 1
B) Stage 2
C) Stage 3
D) Stage 4
Ans: C
Feedback: Patients in stage 3 of hepatic encephalopathy exhibit symptoms of stupor; arousal difficulty; sleeping most of the time; marked confusion; incoherent speech; asterixis; increased deep tendon reflexes; rigidity of extremities; and marked EEG abnormalities. Patients in stages 1 and 2 exhibit clinical symptoms that are not as advanced as found in stage 3; patients in stage 4 are comatose. In stage 4, there is an absence of asterixis, absence of deep tendon reflexes, flaccidity of extremities, and EEG abnormalities.
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