Chapter 11 Constipation
1. A 30-year-old woman is visiting the clinic because of pain in my bottom when I
have a bowel movement. The nurse should assess for which problem?
a. Pinworms
b. Hemorrhoids
c. Colon cancer
d. Fecal incontinence
ANS: B
Having painful bowel movements, known as dyschezia, may be attributable to a local condition
(hemorrhoid or fissure) or constipation. The other responses are not correct.
2. A patient who is visiting the clinic complains of having stomach pains for 2 weeks and
describes his stools as being soft and black for approximately the last 10 days. He denies taking
any medications. The nurse is aware that these symptoms are mostly
indicative of:
a. Excessive fat caused by malabsorption.
b. Increased iron intake, resulting from a change in diet. c. Occult blood, resulting from
gastrointestinal bleeding. d. Absent bile pigment from liver problems.
ANS: C
Black stools may be tarry as a result of occult blood (melena) from gastrointestinal bleeding or
nontarry from ingestion of iron medications (not diet). Excessive fat causes the stool to become
frothy. The absence of bile pigment causes clay-colored stools.
3. During a health history of a patient who complains of chronic constipation, the patient asks
the nurse about high-fiber foods. The nurse relates that an example of a
high-fiber food would be:
a. Broccoli.
, b. Hamburger.
c. Iceberg lettuce.
d. Yogurt.
ANS: A
High-fiber foods are either soluble type (e.g., beans, prunes, barley, broccoli) or insoluble type
(e.g., cereals, wheat germ). The other examples are not considered high-fiber foods.
1. A 30-year-old woman is visiting the clinic because of pain in my bottom when I
have a bowel movement. The nurse should assess for which problem?
a. Pinworms
b. Hemorrhoids
c. Colon cancer
d. Fecal incontinence
ANS: B
Having painful bowel movements, known as dyschezia, may be attributable to a local condition
(hemorrhoid or fissure) or constipation. The other responses are not correct.
2. A patient who is visiting the clinic complains of having stomach pains for 2 weeks and
describes his stools as being soft and black for approximately the last 10 days. He denies taking
any medications. The nurse is aware that these symptoms are mostly
indicative of:
a. Excessive fat caused by malabsorption.
b. Increased iron intake, resulting from a change in diet. c. Occult blood, resulting from
gastrointestinal bleeding. d. Absent bile pigment from liver problems.
ANS: C
Black stools may be tarry as a result of occult blood (melena) from gastrointestinal bleeding or
nontarry from ingestion of iron medications (not diet). Excessive fat causes the stool to become
frothy. The absence of bile pigment causes clay-colored stools.
3. During a health history of a patient who complains of chronic constipation, the patient asks
the nurse about high-fiber foods. The nurse relates that an example of a
high-fiber food would be:
a. Broccoli.
, b. Hamburger.
c. Iceberg lettuce.
d. Yogurt.
ANS: A
High-fiber foods are either soluble type (e.g., beans, prunes, barley, broccoli) or insoluble type
(e.g., cereals, wheat germ). The other examples are not considered high-fiber foods.
