A male client tells his nurse that he has had an ulcer in the past and is afraid it is "flaring up again." The nurse begins to ask him specific questions about his symptoms. The nurse knows that a…

The correct answer is C. Melena. (A) Clients with ulcers generally experience abdominal pain. It is common to have pain in the early morning hours with an ulcer. (B) Constipation is not a symptom associated with ulcers and would indicate a need to look at (C) Melena is blood in the stools. This could indicate…

Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential

Question

A male client tells his nurse that he has had an ulcer in the past and is afraid it is "flaring up again." The nurse begins to ask him specific questions about his symptoms. The nurse knows that a symptom that might indicate a serious complication of an ulcer is:

Options

APain in the middle of the night
BA bowel movement every 3-5 days
CMelena
DEpisodes of nausea and vomiting

How the community answered

(21 responses)

A
10% (2)
B
10% (2)
C
76% (16)
D
5% (1)

Explanation

(A) Clients with ulcers generally experience abdominal pain. It is common to have pain in the early morning hours with an ulcer. (B) Constipation is not a symptom associated with ulcers and would indicate a need to look at (C) Melena is blood in the stools. This could indicate a slow bleeding ulcer, which could result in significant amounts of blood loss over time. (D) Nausea and vomiting may be present as a result of the ulcer, especially if it is a gastric ulcer. This does not indicate an immediate life-threatening complication.

Topics

#peptic ulcer#melena#GI bleeding#complications

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