A 65-year-old involved in a car accident is rushed to the healthcare facility with severe head injuries and profuse loss of blood

Question

Which sign of approaching death will the nurse observe in the client that needs to be shared with family members who might want to be present? A) Frequency of urination decreases
B) Arms and legs are warm to touch
C) Client is calm and peaceful
D) Breathing becomes noisy

Answer 1

D
Feedback:
Noisy breathing is common during the final stages of dying because of the accumulation of secretions in the mouth or lungs. Reduced urination is not seen during the final stages of dying. Instead, the client develops loss of control over bladder and bowels because of loss of neurologic control. The peripheral parts of the client's body, such as the arms and the legs, are cold to touch and not warm, because the circulation is directed away from the periphery and toward the core of the body. Clients in the last stages of dying are usually not calm and peaceful; they occasionally exhibit sudden restlessness as a result of hunger for oxygen.