Clinical Manifestations
Burning with urination, urinary urgency, and urinary frequency are classic manifestations of this lower urinary tract problem.
What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)?
The nurse encourages this intervention for a patient with constipation before administering laxatives.
What is increasing fluid and fiber intake (and activity)?
This laboratory value is commonly elevated during bacterial infections such as pyelonephritis and peritonitis.
What is the white blood cell (WBC) count?
This priority nursing problem develops when persistent vomiting occurs with a bowel obstruction.
What is deficient fluid volume?
This medication class is commonly prescribed to improve urine flow in patients with BPH.
What are alpha-1 adrenergic blockers?
Colicky flank pain that radiates toward the groin and may be accompanied by hematuria is most characteristic of this symptom.
What is renal colic?
This assessment should always be completed before administering medication for abdominal pain.
What is a complete abdominal assessment?
This urine finding strongly suggests a urinary tract infection.
What are positive leukocyte esterase and/or nitrites?
This nursing problem is expected for a patient with severe renal colic.
What is acute pain?
This intervention should be avoided during an acute episode of diverticulitis.
What is encouraging a high-fiber diet?
A rigid, board-like abdomen with rebound tenderness suggests this life-threatening complication.
What is peritonitis?
The priority nursing intervention for a patient with a suspected bowel obstruction who is actively vomiting is this.
What is maintaining NPO status and preparing for NG tube decompression?
This diagnostic procedure allows direct visualization of the colon to identify diverticulosis, polyps, or colorectal cancer.
What is a colonoscopy?
An enlarged prostate commonly causes this urinary elimination problem.
What is urinary retention?
The nurse knows this finding indicates that a bowel obstruction may be worsening rather than improving.
What are absent bowel sounds?
High fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, flank pain, and costovertebral angle tenderness are expected findings of this infection.
What is pyelonephritis?
The priority nursing problem for a patient experiencing pyelonephritis is this nursing diagnosis.
What is Infection (or Risk for Sepsis)?
This procedure uses shock waves to break kidney stones into smaller pieces that can be passed in the urine.
What is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)?
This complication becomes the greatest concern when diverticulitis progresses to bowel perforation.
What is peritonitis?
The nurse suspects this complication when a patient with pyelonephritis becomes hypotensive, tachycardic, and confused.
What is septic shock?
Vomiting fecal-smelling contents, abdominal distention, absent flatus, and high-pitched bowel sounds are expected findings in this disorder.
What is a small bowel obstruction?
Following lithotripsy, the nurse instructs the patient to perform this action to collect stone fragments.
What is strain all urine?
The gold standard imaging study used to diagnose renal calculi is this test.
What is a non-contrast CT scan?
This electrolyte imbalance is especially concerning in patients with prolonged vomiting from bowel obstruction.
What is hypokalemia?
The nurse knows this assessment finding after a colonoscopy requires immediate notification of the provider.
What is severe abdominal pain with a rigid abdomen (possible bowel perforation)?