The following nursing diagnosis is written for a comatose client with cirrhosis of the liver and secondary splenomegaly--High risk for injury: Increased susceptibility to bleeding related to:

Question

Options

• AIncreased absorption of vitamin K
• BThrombocytopenia due to hypersplenism
• CDiminished function of the Kupffer cells
• DIncreased synthesis of the clotting factors

• A
  11% (4)
• B
  81% (29)
• C
  3% (1)
• D
  6% (2)

Explanation

(A) There is a decreased absorption of vitamin K with cirrhosis of the liver. This decrease impairs blood coagulation and the formation of prothrombin. (B) Thrombocytopenia, an increased destruction ofplatelets, occurs secondary to hypersplenism. (C) A diminished function of the Kupffer cells occurs with cirrhosis of the liver, causing the client to become more susceptible to infections. (D) A decrease in the synthesis of fibrinogen and clotting factors VII, IX, and X occurs with cirrhosis of the liver and increases the susceptibility to bleeding.

No community discussion yet for this question.