When is a Risk For nursing DX appropriate as a primary nursing DX?

[shelbias]

It was included in one of my quizzes for Med-Surg and I was just wondering, since we were taught in Fundamentals that the primary nursing DX should be an actual DX since you want to address an issue that is already existing as oppose to an issue that doesn't even exist yet.

Any rationale behind this?

Btw, the choices were 3 risk for DX's (one being Risk for Infection, which was the correct answer) and Activity Intolerance for a fracture IIRC.

Thanks!

[Penny.Lane]

I have never used risk for as a primary without getting a lot of red pen back in response

I think out of the choices you were given though I would select risk for infection as the priority.

I'm not sure I'll look into that and post again if I find anything :)

[elkpark]

Well, it wouldn't apply in a Fundamentals course and wasn't one of the choices you mentioned for your quiz question, but Risk for Injury is used quite a lot as a primary dx in inpatient psychiatric nursing, where we are often dealing with acutely suicidal clients and keeping them safe is the primary and most immediate nursing concern.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

about the only one i can think of is risk for suicide when it is known that the patient is liable to attempt to kill themselves. the risk for infection would be possible because an infection going septic can be a danger in certain circumstances and septicemia is a threat to life.