Chapter 60: Assessment of the Renal/Urinary System Study Guide Questions With Answers

1. A nurse reviews the urinalysis of a client and notes the presence of glucose. What action would the nurse take? a. Document findings and continue to monitor the client. b. Contact the primary health care provider and recommend a 24-hour urine test. c. Review the client9s recent dietary selections over 3 days. d. Perform a finger stick blood glucose assessment. - correct answers ANS: D Glucose normally is not found in the urine. The normal renal threshold for glucose is about 220 mg/dL (12.2 mmol/L), which means that a person whose blood glucose is less than 220 mg/dL (12.2 mmol/L) will not have glucose in the urine. A positive finding for glucose on urinalysis indicates high blood sugar. The most appropriate action would be to perform a blood glucose assessment. The client needs further evaluation for this abnormal result; therefore, documenting and continuing to monitor are not appropriate. Requesting a 24-hour urine test or reviewing the client9s dietary selections will not assist the nurse to make a clinical decision related to this abnormality. 2. A nurse reviews the health history of a client with an oversecretion of renin. Which disorder would the nurse correlate with this assessment finding? a. Alzheimer disease b. Hypertension c. Diabetes mellitus d. Viral hepatitis - correct answers ANS: B Renin is secreted when special cells in the distal convoluted tubule, called the macula densa, sense changes in blood volume and pressure. When the macula densa cells sense that blood volume, blood pressure, or blood sodium levels are low, renin is secreted. Renin then converts angiotensinogen into angiotensin I. This leads to a series of reactions that cause secretion of the hormone aldosterone. This hormone increases kidney reabsorption of sodium and water, increasing blood pressure, blood volume, and blood sodium levels. Inappropriate or excessive renin secretion is a major cause of persistent hypertension. Renin has no impact on Alzheimer disease, diabetes mellitus, or viral hepatitis. 3. A nurse reviews the urinalysis results of a client and notes a urine osmolality of 1200 mOsm/kg (1200 mmol/kg). Which action would the nurse take? a. Contact the primary health care provider to recommend a low-sodium diet. b. Prepare to administer an intravenous diuretic. c. Encourage the client to drink more fluids. d. Obtain a suction device and implement seizure precautions. - correct answers ANS: C Normal urine osmolality ranges from 300 to 900 mOsm/kg (300 to 900 mmol/kg). This client9s urine is more concentrated, indicating dehydration. The nurse would encourage the client to drink more water. Dehydration can be associated with elevated serum sodium levels. Although a low-sodium diet may be appropriate for this client, this diet change will not have a significant impact on urine osmolality. A diuretic would increase urine output and decrease urine osmolality further. Low serum sodium levels, not elevated serum levels, place the client at risk for seizure activity. These options would further contribute to the client9s dehydration or elevate the osmolality. 4. A nurse assesses a client with renal insufficiency and a low red blood cell count. The client asks, Is my anemia related to my kidney problem?= How would the nurse respond? a. Red blood cells produce erythropoietin, which increases blood flow to the kidneys.= b. Your anemia and kidney problem are related to inadequate vitamin D and a loss of bone density.= c. Erythropoietin is usually released from the kidneys and stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow.= d. Kidney insufficiency inhibits active transportation of red blood cells throughout the blood.= - correct answers ANS: C Erythropoietin is produced in the kidney and is released in response to decreased oxygen tension in the renal blood supply. Erythropoietin stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow. Anemia and renal insufficiency are not manifestations of vitamin D deficiency. The kidneys do not play a role in the transportation of red blood cells or any other cells in the blood. 5. A nurse contacts the primary health care provider after reviewing a client9s laboratory results and noting a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) of 35 mg/dL (12.5 mmol/L) and a serum creatinine of 1.0 mg/dL (88.4 mcmol/L). What collaborative care measure would the nurse recommend? a. Intravenous fluids b. Hemodialysis c. Fluid restriction d. Urine culture and sensitivity - correct answers ANS: A Normal BUN is 10 to 20 mg/dL (3.6 to 7.1 mmol/L). Normal creatinine is 0.6 to 1.2 mg/dL (53.0 to 106.1 mcmol/L) (males) or 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dL (44.2 to 97.2 mcmol/L) (females). Creatinine is more specific for kidney function than BUN, because BUN can be affected by several factors (dehydration, high-protein diet, and catabolism). This client9s creatinine is normal, which suggests a nonrenal cause for the elevated BUN. A common cause of increased BUN is dehydration, so the nurse would recommend giving the client more fluids, not placing the client on fluid restrictions. Hemodialysis is not an appropriate treatment for dehydration. The lab results do not indicate an infection; therefore, a urine culture and sensitivity are not appropriate. 6. The nurse is assessing a group of clients for their risk of kidney disease. Which racial/ethnic group is at the greatest risk as they age? a. Latino Americans b. African Americans c. Jewish Americans d. Asian Americans - correct answers ANS: B Older African Americans have a greater age-related decrease in glomerular filtration rate when compared to other racial-ethnic groups. In addition, blood flow decreases and sodium excretion is less effective in older hypertensive African Americans. These changes make this group most at risk for kidney disease.