NU372 HESI Case Study: Inflammatory
Bowel Disease Test Questions and
Actual Answers 2025-2026 Update.
Meet the Client - Answer Client is a college student who reports that she has been in good
health until the last few months, when she started to experience increasing abdominal pain and
diarrhea. Client is evaluated for possible ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease.
The nurse anticipates that client will describe her diarrhea as:
a) Bloody.
b) Green and frothy.
c) Gray with observable fat.
d) Clay-colored. - Answer a) Bloody.
-
Clients with ulcerative colitis may experience as many as 10-20 liquid, bloody stools per day.
Because rectal bleeding is a common finding in ulcerative colitis, which additional information is
important for the nurse to obtain from the client?
a) Hear a ringing in ears.
b) Fatigued or light-headed.
c) Tremors or headaches.
d) Trouble remembering recent events. - Answer b) Fatigued or light-headed.
-
Continuous rectal bleeding will result in anemia, causing the client to feel fatigued, dizzy, light-
headed, and weak.
Client has no other GI symptoms at the present time. She does report that her body is stiff and
aching when she rises in the morning, for which she takes a non-steroidal medication to help
relieve the pain. - Answer -
What is the nurse's best response to this information?
a) That may indicate that the colitis has spread throughout the GI tract.
b) Ulcerative colitis can cause problems in areas other than the colon.
, Clients with moderate to extensive ulcerative colitis can experience extraintestinal
complications. Some of the common manifestations affect the large joints with symptoms of
arthritis and the eyes with symptoms such as blurred vision and light sensitivity (photophobia).
Diagnostic Studies - Answer The nurse provides a stool specimen container and instructs client
to obtain three specimens, one each on three consecutive days.
Which instruction(s) are important for the nurse to provide client regarding food and fluid
intake during the stool specimen collection? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all options may
be correct.)
a) Avoid caffeine.
b) Avoid red meat.
c) Increase fluid intake.
d) Remain NPO after midnight.
e) Do not take supplemental ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). - Answer b) Avoid red meat.
e) Do not take supplemental ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).
-
The ingestion of hemoglobin found in red meats may cause a false-positive test result.
Therefore, it should be avoided for 3 days before starting the specimen collection. Other food
products, vigorous exercise, and a variety of medications may also affect the test results.
Vitamin C intake has been associated with false-negative guaiac stool specimen results.
Client is scheduled for a flexible sigmoidoscopy and a barium enema. - Answer -
Which explanation of the procedure for the barium enema should the nurse provide?
a) X-ray is used to visualize the large intestine after barium is instilled.
b) Movement of barium in the colon is observed through a scope.
c) A barium-based dye is injected intravenously, followed by abdominal scanning.
d) A digital exam is performed after the barium is removed by an enema. - Answer a) X-ray is
used to visualize the large intestine after barium is instilled.
-
A barium enema involves a series of x-rays taken to visualize the colon. These x-rays are taken
after barium is instilled into the colon through a rectal catheter.
Bowel Disease Test Questions and
Actual Answers 2025-2026 Update.
Meet the Client - Answer Client is a college student who reports that she has been in good
health until the last few months, when she started to experience increasing abdominal pain and
diarrhea. Client is evaluated for possible ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease.
The nurse anticipates that client will describe her diarrhea as:
a) Bloody.
b) Green and frothy.
c) Gray with observable fat.
d) Clay-colored. - Answer a) Bloody.
-
Clients with ulcerative colitis may experience as many as 10-20 liquid, bloody stools per day.
Because rectal bleeding is a common finding in ulcerative colitis, which additional information is
important for the nurse to obtain from the client?
a) Hear a ringing in ears.
b) Fatigued or light-headed.
c) Tremors or headaches.
d) Trouble remembering recent events. - Answer b) Fatigued or light-headed.
-
Continuous rectal bleeding will result in anemia, causing the client to feel fatigued, dizzy, light-
headed, and weak.
Client has no other GI symptoms at the present time. She does report that her body is stiff and
aching when she rises in the morning, for which she takes a non-steroidal medication to help
relieve the pain. - Answer -
What is the nurse's best response to this information?
a) That may indicate that the colitis has spread throughout the GI tract.
b) Ulcerative colitis can cause problems in areas other than the colon.
, Clients with moderate to extensive ulcerative colitis can experience extraintestinal
complications. Some of the common manifestations affect the large joints with symptoms of
arthritis and the eyes with symptoms such as blurred vision and light sensitivity (photophobia).
Diagnostic Studies - Answer The nurse provides a stool specimen container and instructs client
to obtain three specimens, one each on three consecutive days.
Which instruction(s) are important for the nurse to provide client regarding food and fluid
intake during the stool specimen collection? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all options may
be correct.)
a) Avoid caffeine.
b) Avoid red meat.
c) Increase fluid intake.
d) Remain NPO after midnight.
e) Do not take supplemental ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). - Answer b) Avoid red meat.
e) Do not take supplemental ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).
-
The ingestion of hemoglobin found in red meats may cause a false-positive test result.
Therefore, it should be avoided for 3 days before starting the specimen collection. Other food
products, vigorous exercise, and a variety of medications may also affect the test results.
Vitamin C intake has been associated with false-negative guaiac stool specimen results.
Client is scheduled for a flexible sigmoidoscopy and a barium enema. - Answer -
Which explanation of the procedure for the barium enema should the nurse provide?
a) X-ray is used to visualize the large intestine after barium is instilled.
b) Movement of barium in the colon is observed through a scope.
c) A barium-based dye is injected intravenously, followed by abdominal scanning.
d) A digital exam is performed after the barium is removed by an enema. - Answer a) X-ray is
used to visualize the large intestine after barium is instilled.
-
A barium enema involves a series of x-rays taken to visualize the colon. These x-rays are taken
after barium is instilled into the colon through a rectal catheter.
