The nurse has identified the nursing diagnosis of imbalanced nutrition: less than body
requirements related to altered taste sensation in a patient with lung cancer who has had a
10% loss in weight. An appropriate nursing intervention that addresses the etiology of this
problem is to
a. provide foods that are highly spiced to stimulate the taste buds.
b. avoid presenting foods for which the patient has a strong dislike.
c. add strained baby meats to foods such as soups and casseroles.
d. teach the patient to eat whatever is nutritious since food is tasteless. B
Rationale: The patient will eat more if disliked foods are avoided and foods that patient likes
are included instead. Additional spice is not usually an effective way to enhance taste. Adding
baby meats to foods will increase calorie and protein levels, but does not address the issue of
taste. Patients will not improve intake by eating foods that are beneficial but have unpleasant
taste.
The client with which of the following types of lung cancer has the best prognosis?
a. Adenocarcinoma
b. Oat cell
c. Squamous cell
d. Small cell ANSWER C. Squamous cell carcinoma is a slow-growing, rarely metastasizing
type of cancer. Adenocarcinoma is the next best lung cancer to have in terms of prognosis. Oat
cell and small cell carcinoma are the same. Small cell carcinoma grows rapidly and is quick to
metastasize.
Warning signs and symptoms of lung cancer include persistent cough, bloody sputum, dyspnea,
and which of the other following symptoms?
a. Dizziness
b. Generalized weakness
c. Hypotension
, d. Recurrent pleural effusion ANSWER D. Recurring episodes of pleural effusions can be
caused by the tumor and should be investigated. Dizziness, generalized weakness, and
hypotension aren't typically considered warning signals, but may occur in advanced stages of
cancer.
Which of the following interventions is the key to increasing the survival rates of clients with
lung cancer?
a. Early bronchoscopy
b. Early detection
c. High-dose chemotherapy
d. Smoking cessation ANSWER B. Early detection of cancer when the cells may be
premalignant and potentially curable would be most beneficial. However, a tumor must be 1
cm in diameter before it's detectable on a chest x-ray, so this is difficult. A bronchoscopy may
help identify cell type but may not increase survival rate. High-dose chemotherapy has minimal
effect on long-term survival. Smoking cessation won't reverse the process but may help prevent
further decompensation.
A client has been diagnosed with lung cancer and requires a wedge resection. How much of the
lung is removed?
a. One entire lung
b. A lobe of the lung
c. A small, localized area near the surface of the lung.
d. A segment of the lung, including a bronchiole and its alveoli. ANSWER C. A small area of
tissue close to the surface of the lung is removed in a wedge resection. An entire lung is
removed in a pneumonectomy. A segment of the lung is removed in a segmental resection and
a lobe is removed in a lobectomy.
When a client has a lobectomy, what fills the space where the lobe was?
a. The space stays empty.
b. The surgeon fills the space with gel
c. The lung space fills up with serous fluid