A 14-year-old female comes to the clinic with amenorrhea for 3 months. A pregnancy test is negative. The adolescent's body weight is at 82% of expected for height and age. The mother reports that her daughter often throws up and refuses to eat most foods. Which condition does the primary care pediatric nurse practitioner suspect?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The combination of amenorrhea, low body weight, and food refusal with purging behavior suggests anorexia nervosa. Bulimia nervosa also involves binging and purging behaviors, but typically does not result in significant weight loss or amenorrhea. Depression and substance abuse may be comorbid conditions, but do not explain the primary symptom of amenorrhea.

A 14-Year-Old Female Comes to the Clinic with Amenorrhea for 3