Nutrition and Diet Therapy 6th Edition by Carroll Lutz, Erin Mazur , Nancy Litch

Exercise 12

Mr. W is a 55-year-old White man admitted to the acute care unit for jaundice and ascites secondary to cirrhosis of the liver. He has gained 15 pounds in the past 3 weeks, and his serum sodium is 125 mEq/L. He is a diagnosed alcoholic who has been through a detoxification program several times in the past 5 years. The dietitian has instructed 1.Mr. W on a 1500-mg sodium diet with a fluid restriction of 1000 mL per day. When the nurse does the beginning of shift assessment, 1.Mr. W says he tried ?cutting down on salt? when he started gaining weight, but it didn?t work. Which of the following statements best reflects a good understanding of 1.Mr. W?s pathology and treatment?
A) Just cutting out added salt is not enough, because many foods are naturally high in sodium.
B) Fluids are always restricted with a low-sodium diet.
C) The ascites is caused by the inability of the liver to produce water-soluble bilirubin.
D) Besides retaining sodium, 1.Mr. W has ascites due to decreased blood pressure in the liver.