The nurse wants to know if the nursing plan of care is effective for a male patient with malnutri-tion. Which assessment finding indicates to the nurse that the plan is effective?

Question

a. The tongue is large with a smooth surface.
b. Eighty percent of food was consumed at his last meal.
c. He weighs 185 pounds at 5 feet 6 inches tall.
d. He has reddish-pink mucous membranes.

Answer 1

D
Reddish-pink oral and conjunctival mucous membranes are indications of a well-nourished per-son because this color is consistent with well-oxygenated tissue resulting from adequate amounts of hemoglobin and erythrocytes. A malnourished person is likely to have pale mucous membranes because the individual does not receive adequate nutrition in the diet to provide the body with the necessary iron to synthesize hemoglobin, amino acids to manufacture protein, and other nutrients to manufacture red blood cells in adequate amounts. The tongue is a vivid pink or deep red, with papillae present in adequately nourished individuals. Generally consuming 80% of meals is an acceptable dietary intake; however, a malnourished person usually needs to eat the entire meal on a consistent basis to restore and maintain health and wellness. The recommended weight for a male who is 5 feet 6 inches is 142 pounds, indicating that this patient is overweight. Obese individuals are frequently malnourished but gain weight by eating foods that are high in fat and calories and low in nutrition.