Question I got wrong on my test!

[Laurs14]

Mr. A came into the hospital with naseau and vomiting for the past 4 days. What is the most accurate way to determine the extent of his fluid loss?

1) Weight him daily

2) skin turgor

[CRIMSON]

Mr. A came into the hospital with naseau and vomiting for the past 4 days. What is the most accurate way to determine the extent of his fluid loss?

1) Weight him daily

2) skin turgor

We were always taught weigh daily for most accurate guide to fluid loss.

Unless it is the ER, which would make the answer skin turgor because you could not have weighed him daily.

Hope that helps.

[carreont]

I would say check for skin turgur because he has already had 4 days of fluid loss so you would have to do something immediately. Comparing daily weights would take time. Was this on the NCLEX?

[Laurs14]

It was on my nursing test for school.

So, the exact question was... "Mr. A was admitted to the hospital after feeling nausea and vomiting for 4 days, what is the most accurate way to determine the extent of his fluid loss?"

I put skin turgor too b/c I had the same rationale as you Carreonte! But my professor is saying its daily weight. I just don't understand why it would be daily weights????

[Pmkn10RN]

This is the NCLEX discussion forum...I think you should have posted in the Nursing Student Assistance forum

[Laurs14]

Oops... I should have. Sorry!

[caliotter3]

If they say daily weights, then go with their answer until you can find the reason one way or the other. I try to look things up, but there is so much to look up and so little time!

[carreont]

maybe because the question says a "more accurate way" which if you are measuring weights you get a number but checking for tenting you don't get a measurement. Just trying to make sense of the question. This is assuming you have all the time in the world to peform the assessment and you are not waiting on the assessment to start any implementations. Just my .

[ladyD123]

hi,

I think is nice and helpful to me and others who might come accross this question. Is good to ask this type of question in this forum expecially when you see it confusing, this type of question makes one think critically.

When you see a question, is good to see that question as an nclex question, and answer it to your best of knowledge bc you never know.

This question is an RN level type of question and need to be anwered.

I like the question and would answer weigh pt daily bc skin tugor is a sign of dehydration, it cannot tell you how much fluid the pt lost.

Based on my nclex knowledge of answering question, i will not choose skin tugor.:)

[Laurs14]

Ok. I understand that but what about the response above:

"I would say check for skin turgur because he has already had 4 days of fluid loss so you would have to do something immediately. Comparing daily weights would take time"

Also, doesn't the question imply that he lost fluid prior to coming to the hospital. Why would daily weights help you to determine the extent of his loss if he already lost the fluid prior to coming in???????

[carreont]

Ok. I understand that but what about the response above:

"I would say check for skin turgur because he has already had 4 days of fluid loss so you would have to do something immediately. Comparing daily weights would take time"

Also, doesn't the question imply that he lost fluid prior to coming to the hospital. Why would daily weights help you to determine the extent of his loss if he already lost the fluid prior to coming in???????

Good one.

[AROSUSA]

Look for the key words in this question.

The key words are: ...the most accurate way...

A measurement is always "the most accurate way" to find something out.

Therefore the correct answer is: measure the patient's weight loss.

Hope this helps.