Practice Question
A nurse in a provider's office is caring for a client.
Answer Choices:
Rationale:
🔷 The positive ANA, elevated ESR, anemia, and joint tenderness strongly indicate systemic inflammation, which is characteristic of systemic lupus erythematosus.
🔷 The butterfly rash, alopecia, mouth ulcers, and hyperpigmented lesions are classic SLE manifestations, confirming this autoimmune diagnosis.
🔷 Teaching avoidance of sunlight is essential, because ultraviolet exposure can trigger flares and worsen skin lesions.
🔷 Helping the client identify flare triggers improves self-management, reducing the frequency and severity of exacerbations.
🔷 Monitoring corticosteroid adherence is critical, because steroids control inflammation and prevent life-threatening complications such as renal involvement.
Celiac disease
🔷 Celiac disease presents with gastrointestinal symptoms, not butterfly rash, alopecia, or joint edema.
🔷 ANA positivity and systemic inflammation are not characteristic findings.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus
🔷 This condition does not cause skin plaques, rash, or mucosal ulcerations, which are prominent in SLE.
🔷 ANA and ESR abnormalities do not indicate diabetes.
Multiple sclerosis
🔷 MS presents with neurological deficits, not cutaneous rashes, joint edema, or mouth ulcers.
🔷 The lab findings do not support demyelinating disease.
Recommend low-impact and strength-building exercises
🔷 Exercise is beneficial but not a priority action, compared to reducing flare triggers and UV exposure.
🔷 Activity guidance does not address the acute systemic inflammation.
Educate client on carbohydrate counting
🔷 This applies to diabetes management, not SLE.
🔷 It does not reduce lupus flare risk.
Remind client to read food labels for gluten
🔷 This is relevant to celiac disease, not SLE.
🔷 Gluten avoidance does not affect lupus symptoms.
Diet adherence to prevent exacerbations
🔷 Diet is not the main driver of lupus flares, unlike in celiac or Crohn's disease.
🔷 Monitoring focuses more on medication adherence and emotional well-being.
Microvascular complications
🔷 These are associated with diabetes, not lupus.
🔷 SLE complications involve kidneys, skin, joints, and immune system—not microvasculature.
Changes in cognition
🔷 Cognitive changes are more closely linked to neurological disorders, not this client’s presentation.
🔷 No current symptoms indicate CNS involvement.
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This question is from RN Adult Medical Surgical 2023 Dec which contains 78 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI MedSurg
- Answer Choices: 0