A patient exhibits the following symptoms: tachycardia, increased thirst, headache, decreased urine output, and increased body temperature. The nurse analyzes the data. Which nursing diagnosis will the nurse assign to the patient?
a. Adult failure to thrive
b. Hypothermia
c. Deficient fluid volume
d. Nausea
ANS: C
The signs the patient is exhibiting are consistent with deficient fluid volume (dehydration). Even without knowing the clinical manifestations of dehydration, the question can be answered by the process of elimination. Adult failure to thrive, hypothermia, and nausea are not appropriate diagnoses because data are insufficient to support these diagnoses.
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