Practice Question
Which laxative can be used to reduce ammonia levels in liver failure clients?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Lactulose
Rationale:
🧪Lactulose acidifies colonic contents, converting ammonia (NH₃) to ammonium (NH₄⁺), which is trapped in the gut and excreted—lowering serum ammonia in hepatic encephalopathy.
🧪It also increases stool water content and transit, reducing intestinal ammonia absorption and total body burden.
🧪Clinical targets include 2–3 soft stools/day, signaling adequate dosing for ammonia reduction.
🧪Nurses monitor mental status, ammonia levels, hydration, and electrolytes to prevent dehydration or hyponatremia.
🧪Education emphasizes consistent dosing, avoiding overt diarrhea, and reporting confusion or excessive stools.
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This question is from NR293_Quiz 3_STO_SEP25 which contains 21 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: Examplify Exam(s)
- Domain: Pharmacology
- Answer Choices: 4