A patient with late-stage cirrhosis develops portal hypertension. Which of the following options below are complications that can develop from this condition? Select all that apply: * 4. Your patient with cirrhosis has severe splenomegaly. As the nurse you will make it priority to monitor the patient for signs and symptoms of?
Cirrhosis NCLEX Questions. A patient with cirrhosis may experience a complication called hepatic encephalopathy. This will cause the patient to become confused (they may enter into a coma), have pungent, musty smelling breath (fetor hepaticus), asterixis (involuntary flapping of the hands) etc.
The answer is B and D. A patient with cirrhosis may experience a complication called hepatic encephalopathy. This will cause the patient to become confused (they may enter into a coma), have pungent, musty smelling breath (fetor hepaticus), asterixis (involuntary flapping of the hands) etc.
The liver is producing too much estrogen due to the damage to the liver cells, which causes the level to increase in the body , and this leads to gynecomastia. C. The liver cells are failing to recycle estrogen into testosterone, which leads to gynecomastia.
A patient with an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) due to cirrhosis can experience thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), increased PT/INR (means it takes the patient a long time to stop bleeding), and leukopenia (low white blood cells). The spleen stores platelets and WBCs.
The answer are B, C, and E. Portal Hypertension is where the portal vein becomes narrow due to scar tissue in the liver, which is restricting the flow of blood to the liver. Therefore, pressure becomes increased in the portal vein and affects the organs connected via the vein to the liver.
The organs connected to the hepatic portal vein are: small/large intestine, pancreas, spleen, stomach.
Remember that ammonia is the byproduct of protein breakdown, and normally the liver can take the ammonia from the protein breakdown and turn it into urea (but if the cirrhosis is severe enough this can’t happen). Therefore, the patient should consume foods LOW in protein until the encephalopathy subsides.