The client with lung cancer who is receiving radiation therapy tells you that she has all the following health problems. Which one is most likely a result of the radiation therapy?
A. Thinning scalp hair
B. Pain in the left shoulder
C. Difficulty swallowing solid food
D. Heart palpitations and night sweats
C
Radiation has the potential to damage the tissues directly in the radiation path only. The scalp is not in the radiation path and scalp hair loss is not related to this therapy for this client. Pain in the left shoulder is most likely related to disease progression. Although the heart is somewhat in the radiation path, this does not result in palpitations or night sweats. The esophagus is in the radia-tion path and can become irritated as the therapy continues (esophagitis). When esophagitis oc-curs, clients may have difficulty swallowing solid foods and may experience "heartburn."
You might also like to view...
An older adult's unexplained weight loss of 15 pounds over the past 3 months has prompted a thorough diagnostic workup. What is the nurse's rationale for prioritizing biochemical assessment when appraising a person's nutritional status?
A) It identifies abnormalities in the chemical structure of nutrients. B) It predicts abnormal utilization of nutrients. C) It reflects the tissue level of a given nutrient. D) It predicts metabolic abnormalities in nutritional intake.
Which assessment skills could the nurse safely delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?
1. Assessment of abdomen 2. Collection of nursing history 3. Assessment of client's allergies 4. Measurement of vital signs
The issues a nurse should plan to address during the first interview with a client with a psychiatric
disorder include a. trust, congruence, attitudes, and boundaries. b. relationship parameters, the contract, confidentiality, and termination. c. transference, countertransference, intimacy, and developing resources. d. goals, resistance, unconscious motivations, and diversion.
A patient is in the intensive care unit after a myocardial infarction and refuses to stay in bed, saying, "I have to be up and walking around. When I stayed in bed after having my babies 40 years ago, I got so weak I could hardly move."
This patient's illness behavior is being influenced by a. hardiness. b. past experiences. c. culture. d. role expectations.