The best indicator of fluid status in the elderly is____
A. Patient thirst
B. Patient weight
C. BUN/creatinine ratio
D. Serum creatinine
ANS: C
Dehydration is common in the elderly and has serious consequences. The average fluid intake for community-dwelling elderly persons is less than 1,000 mL per day. Thirst is not a reliable indicator of the need for fluids, and most elderly individuals need reminders to drink fluids. The best method for monitoring hydration status is with the blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio; anything greater than 20:1 is highly suggestive of dehydration.
You might also like to view...
The nursing student is asked to teach a client about nutrition, and tells the client that chicken is a good source of lean protein. Which of the following describes the type of statement given to the client by the student?
1. Inference 2. Judgment 3. Fact 4. Opinion
A nurse is assessing a client who seems to have developed a hearing impairment after working at a construction site for a few months. The nurse is using the Weber test to assess the client's hearing acuity
The Weber test does which of the following? A) Compares air versus bone conduction of sound B) Measures hearing acuity at various sound frequencies C) Tests air conduction of sound in the tested ear D) Determines the equality or disparity of bone-conducted sound
A 77-year-old female has fallen in her home and is brought to the emergency department by ambulance with a suspected fractured hip. X-rays confirm a fracture of the neck of the left femur
What complication is common in fractures of the neck of the femur? A) Osteoporosis B) Avascular necrosis C) Nonadherance of bones D) Septicemia
Nurses need to know the basic definitions and incidence data about postpartum hemorr-hage (PPH). For instance:
a. PPH is easy to recognize early; after all, the woman is bleeding. b. Traditionally it takes more than 1000 ml of blood after vaginal birth and 2500 ml after cesarean birth to define the condition as PPH. c. If anything, nurses and doctors tend to overestimate the amount of blood loss. d. Traditionally PPH has been classified as early or late with respect to birth.