ACUTE RENAL INJURY & CKD – NCLEX QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS GRADED TO PASS

How do you determine that a patient's oliguria is associated with acute renal failure (ARF)? A. Specific gravity of urine at 3 different times is 1.010. B. The serum creatinine level is normal. C. The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level is normal or below. D. Hypokalemia is identified. - CORRECT ANSWER A. Specific gravity of urine at 3 different times is 1.010. A urinalysis may show casts, red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), a specific gravity fixed at about 1.010, and urine osmolality at about 300 mOsm/kg. When caring for a patient during the oliguric phase of acute kidney injury, what would be an appropriate nursing intervention? A. Weigh patient three times weekly B. Increase dietary sodium and potassium C. Provide a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet D. Restrict fluids according to the previous day's fluid loss - CORRECT ANSWER D. Restrict fluids according to the previous day's fluid loss Patients in the oliguric phase of acute kidney injury have fluid volume excess with potassium and sodium retention. They will need to have dietary sodium, potassium, and fluids restricted. Daily fluid intake is based on the previous 24-hour fluid loss (measured output plus 600 mL for insensible loss). The diet also needs to provide adequate, not low, protein intake to prevent catabolism. The patient should also be weighed daily, not just three times per week. Which assessment finding is commonly found in the oliguric phase of acute kidney injury (AKI)? A. Hypovolemia B. Hyperkalemia C. Hypernatremia D. Thrombocytopenia - CORRECT ANSWER B. Hyperkalemia In AKI, the serum potassium levels increase because the normal ability of the kidneys to excrete potassium is impaired. Sodium levels are typically normal or diminished, whereas fluid volume is normally increased due to decreased urine output. Thrombocytopenia is not a consequence of AKI, although altered platelet function may occur in AKI. Which patient has the greatest risk for prerenal AKI? A. The patient is hypovolemic because of hemorrhage. B. The patient relates a history of chronic urinary tract obstruction. C. The patient has vascular changes related to coagulopathies. D. The patient is receiving antibiotics such as gentamicin. - CORRECT ANSWER A. The patient is hypovolemic because of hemorrhage. Prerenal causes of AKI are factors external to the kidneys. These factors reduce systemic circulation, causing a reduction in renal blood flow, and they lead to decreased glomerular perfusion and filtration of the kidneys. The patient admitted to the intensive care unit after a motor vehicle accident has been diagnosed with AKI. Which finding indicates the onset of oliguria resulting from AKI? A. Urine output less than 1000 mL for the past 24 hours B. Urine output less than 800 mL for the past 24 hours C. Urine output less than 600 mL for the past 24 hours D. Urine output less than 400 mL for the past 24 hours - CORRECT ANSWER D. Urine output less than 400 mL for the past 24 hours The most common initial manifestation of AKI is oliguria, a reduction to urine output to less than 400 mL/day. The patient in the oliguric phase of AKI excreted 300 mL of urine in addition to 100 mL of other losses during the past 24 hours. With appropriate calculations, you determine that for the next 24 hours the patient's fluid allocation is A. 600 mL. B. 800 mL. C. 1000 mL. D. 1200 mL. - CORRECT ANSWER C. 1000 mL. Fluid intake must be closely monitored during the oliguric phase. The rule for calculating the fluid restriction is to add all losses for the previous 24 hours to 600 mL for insensible losses. Your plan for care of a patient with AKI includes which goal of dietary management? A. Provide sufficient calories while preventing nitrogen excess. B. Deliver adequate calories while restricting fat and protein intake. C. Replace protein intake with enough fat intake to sustain metabolism. D. Restrict fluids, increase potassium intake, and regulate sodium intake. - CORRECT ANSWER A. Provide sufficient calories while preventing nitrogen excess. The challenge of nutrition management in AKI is to provide adequate calories to prevent catabolism despite the restrictions required to prevent electrolyte and fluid disorders and azotemia (accumulation of nitrogen and wastes in blood). For the patient with AKI, which laboratory result would cause you the greatest concern? A. Potassium level of 5.9 mEq/L B. BUN level of 25 mg/dL C. Sodium level of 144 mEq/L D. pH of 7.5 - CORRECT ANSWER A. Potassium level of 5.9 mEq/L Hyperkalemia is one of the most serious complications in AKI because it can cause life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias. Important nursing interventions for the patient with AKI are (select all that apply) A. careful monitoring of intake and output. B. daily patient weights. C. meticulous aseptic technique. D. increase intake of vitamin A and D. E. frequent mouth care. - CORRECT ANSWER A. careful monitoring of intake and output. B. daily patient weights. C. meticulous aseptic technique. E. frequent mouth care. You have an important role in managing fluid and electrolyte balance during the oliguric and diuretic phases of AKI. Observing and recording accurate intake and output are essential. Measure daily weights with the same scale at the same time each day to assess excessive gains or losses of body fluids. Mouth care is important to prevent stomatitis, which develops when ammonia (produced by bacterial breakdown of urea) in saliva irritates the mucous membrane. What characterizes AKI (select all that apply)? A. Primary cause of death is infection. B. It usually affects older people. C. The disease course is potentially reversible. D. The most common cause is diabetic nephropathy. E. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death. - CORRECT ANSWER A. Primary cause of death is infection. C. The disease course is potentially reversible. AKI is potentially reversible. It has a high mortality rate, and the primary cause of death is infection; the primary cause of death for chronic kidney failure is cardiovascular disease. AKI commonly follows severe, prolonged hypotension or hypovolemia or exposure to a nephrotoxic agent. Although it can occur at any age, the older adult is more susceptible to AKI because the number of functioning nephrons decreases with age. During the oliguric phase of AKI, you monitor the patient for (select all that apply) A. hypertension. B. electrocardiographic (ECG) changes. C. hypernatremia. D. pulmonary edema. E. urine with high specific gravity. - CORRECT ANSWER A. hypertension. B. electrocardiographic (ECG) changes. D. pulmonary edema. You monitor the patient in the oliguric phase of AKI for hypertension and pulmonary edema. When urinary output decreases, fluid retention occurs. The severity of the symptoms depends on the extent of the fluid overload. In the case of reduced urine output (anuria and oliguria), the neck veins may become distended and have a bounding pulse. Edema and hypertension may develop. Fluid overload can eventually lead to heart failure, pulmonary edema, and pericardial and pleural effusions. The patient is monitored for hyponatremia. Damaged tubules cannot conserve sodium, and the urinary excretion of sodium may increase, resulting in normal or below-normal levels of serum sodium. Monitoring may reveal ECG changes and hyperkalemia. Initially, clinical signs of hyperkalemia are apparent on electrocardiogram, which demonstrate peaked T waves, widening of the QRS complex, and ST-segment depression. Urinary specific gravity is fixed at about 1.010.