Exam 22: Cognitive Responses and Organic Mental Disorders

Family members of a delirious elderly patient are very anxious and express their concerns about placing the patient in a nursing home.What information should serve as a basis for the nurse's reply?

An individual being treated in the emergency room is found to have flushed,dry skin and sensorium that alternates between clouded and clear.A friend reveals the patient has not voided or ingested food or fluid in 18 hours.When the health care provider diagnoses fever of unknown origin,the plan is to make an effort to orally hydrate before attempting to start an IV line.The intervention most likely to be effective will be:

A 72-year-old female patient has delirium secondary to anticholinergic medication toxicity.The nurse planning discharge care teaches the family to be alert for maladaptive cognitive symptoms because:

A nurse caring for a patient with Alzheimer disease can anticipate that the family will most likely need information about:

A widowed patient tells a nurse that the door should be left unlocked because her husband will be coming home soon.Which response by the nurse would be most therapeutic?

An individual was brought to the emergency room with impaired cognitive function.The patient's aggressive behavior and attempts to get out of bed present a safety issue.The nurse should first:

A nurse is working with a family with an elderly member who is in the prediagnostic phase of Alzheimer disease.The most important nursing intervention at this time would be to provide:

An individual brought to the emergency room fights against the restraints and shouts incoherently.The history reveals that the patient was weak and confused on awakening this morning and soon began "rambling and talking crazy." A nurse notes that the patient's skin is flushed and dry.The priority nursing action is to:

A patient has sundown syndrome.The nurse can expect that the patient will:

A person who is the caregiver of a parent with early-to-middle-stage Alzheimer disease is concerned about possible episodes of incontinence.What strategy should the nurse suggest?

A nurse is caring for a patient who is confused,disoriented,and experiencing visual hallucinations.While preparing to provide personal care,the nurse should:

A patient diagnosed with dementia associated with excessive alcohol use is shown a pencil,a nickel,and a safety pin and asked to repeat the names of each.Later when asked to identify these three items the patient is unable to do so.The nurse assesses this as:

A patient experiencing delirium secondary to drug toxicity is manifesting paranoid thinking and noisy,assaultive behavior and is currently pacing the room.The nurse's initial intervention is to:

Which nursing diagnosis would be appropriate for a patient with Alzheimer disease?

A 45-year-old patient shows marked cognitive impairment that has developed progressively over several months.A family member reports the patient's father had early-onset dementia.What research-based information can be given to the family in response to their concerns about the patient developing early-onset dementia?

The goal for a patient with disturbed thought processes is,"The patient will:

Which intervention would likely be most useful when attempting to prevent or lessen the symptoms associated with sundown syndrome?

A patient is admitted with a tentative diagnosis of delirium.The patient repeatedly mistakes one of the nursing staff for a family member.The nurse documents that this patient is experiencing a disturbance in which area of functioning?

An elderly patient with dementia paces the hallway and often wanders.The nurse documents that the patient is exhibiting which type of behavior characteristic of dementia?

A nurse would attempt to reduce nighttime agitation for a patient with either delirium or dementia by: