A nurse cares for a client who has been diagnosed with a small bowel obstruction. Which assessment findings should the nurse correlate with this diagnosis? (Select all that apply.)
a. Serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L
b. Loss of 15 pounds without dieting
c. Abdominal pain in upper quadrants
d. Low-pitched bowel sounds
e. Serum sodium of 121 mEq/L
ANS: A, C, E
Small bowel obstructions often lead to severe fluid and electrolyte imbalances. The client is hypokalemic (normal range is 3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L) and hyponatremic (normal range is 136 to 145 mEq/L). Abdominal pain across the upper quadrants is associated with small bowel obstruction. Dramatic weight loss without dieting followed by bowel obstruction leads to the probable development of colon cancer. High-pitched sounds may be noted with small bowel obstructions.
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