Question 1

A 15-year-old female is admitted for treatment of anorexia nervosa. Which is characteristic of anorexia nervosa?

Accepted Answer

Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening eating disorder characterized by the client's refusal or inability to maintain a minimally normal body weight, intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, significantly disturbed perception of the shape or size of the body, and steadfast inability or refusal to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem or even that one exists. Clients with anorexia have a body weight that is less than the minimum expected weight, considering their age, height, and overall physical health. In addition, clients have a preoccupation with food and food-related activities and can have a variety of physical manifestations. Physical problems or anorexia nervosa include amenorrhea, constipation, overly sensitive to cold, lanugo hair on body, hair loss, dry skin, dental caries, pedal edema, bradycardia, enlarged parotid glands, hypothermia, and electrolyte imbalance. These clients do not lose their appetites. They still experience hunger but ignore it and signs of physical weakness and fatigue. Dental erosion is characteristic of bulimia nervosa.

Question 2

The nurse is assessing a client with bulimia nervosa. Which of the following symptoms would the nurse expect to find? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The weight of clients with bulimia usually is in the normal range, although some clients are overweight or underweight. Recurrent vomiting destroys tooth enamel, and incidence of dental caries and ragged or chipped teeth increases in these clients. Metabolic alkalosis often results from vomiting. Cold intolerance and hypotension are symptoms associated with emaciation seen in anorexia nervosa.

Question 3

Which eating disorder is characterized by consuming an amount of food much larger than a person would normally eat and of near-normal weight? Afterward, the client may purge the food or exercise excessively, and between binges, the client may eat low- calorie foods or fast.

Accepted Answer

Bulimia nervosa, often simply called bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors to avoid weight gain, such as purging, fasting, or excessively exercising. The amount of food consumed during a binge episode is much larger than a person would normally eat. Between binges, the client may eat low-calorie foods or fast. Anorexia nervosa is a life- threatening eating disorder characterized by the client's refusal or inability to maintain a minimally normal body weight, intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, significantly disturbed perception of the shape or size of the body, and steadfast inability or refusal to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem or even that one exists. The weight of clients with bulimia usually is in the normal range. Pica is persistent ingestion of nonfood substances. Rumination is repeated regurgitation of food that is then rechewed, reswallowed, or spit out.

Question 4

When working with the family of a client with anorexia nervosa, which of the following issues must be addressed?

Accepted Answer

Clients with anorexia often believe the only control they have is over their eating and weight; all other aspects of their life are controlled by their family. Codependence, self- discipline, and sexual identity are not pertinent issues to address with the family.

Question 5

During an initial interview at a clinic, a young female client states that there is nothing wrong with her. Which would indicate to the nurse that this client might have anorexia nervosa?

Accepted Answer

Clients with anorexia starve themselves and lose a large proportion of body weight, yet call it dieting. In anorexia nervosa, clients do not have excessive weight gain or overeat. Clients have a negative self-concept. Clients with anorexia nervosa exhibit inflexible thinking and limited spontaneity.

Question 6

What is the primary difference between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa?

Accepted Answer

Clients with bulimia know their behavior is pathologic and are ashamed of it; clients with anorexia think they are fine and see no problem with their weight-control efforts. Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening eating disorder. Studies of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have shown that these disorders tend to run in families.

Question 7

While assessing the family dynamics of a client with an eating disorder, which of the following does the nurse most likely discover?

Accepted Answer

Two essential tasks of adolescence are the struggle to develop autonomy and the establishment of a unique identity. Autonomy may be difficult in families that are overprotective or in which enmeshment (lack of clear role boundaries) exists. Such families do not support members' efforts to gain independence, and teenagers may feel as though they have little or no control over their lives. They begin to control their eating through severe dieting and thus gain control over their weight. Losing weight becomes reinforcing: by continuing to lose, these clients exert control over one aspect of their lives.

Question 8

The nurse understands that which biologic factors may influence the development of an eating disorder? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Studies of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have shown that these disorders tend to run in families, or it may directly involve a dysfunction of the hypothalamus. A family history of mood or anxiety disorders (e.g., obsessiveñcompulsive disorder) places a person at risk for an eating disorder. Low norepinephrine levels are seen in clients during periods of restricted food intake. Also, low epinephrine levels are related to the decreased heart rate and blood pressure seen in clients with anorexia. Low levels of serotonin as well as low platelet levels of monoamine oxidase have been found in clients with bulimia and the binge and purge subtype of anorexia nervosa.

Question 9

Which factors may contribute to the frequency of eating disorders in adolescents? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Two essential tasks of adolescence are the struggle to develop autonomy and the establishment of a unique identity. In families in which enmeshment exists, adolescents begin to control their eating through severe dieting and thus gain control over their weight. Adolescent girls who express body dissatisfaction are most likely to experience adverse outcomes. The need to develop a unique identity, or a sense of who one is as a person, is another essential task of adolescence. It coincides with the onset of puberty, which initiates many emotional and physiologic changes. Self-doubt and confusion can result if the adolescent does not measure up to the person she or he wants to be.
Advertisements, magazines, and movies that feature thin models reinforce the cultural belief that slimness is attractive. Body image disturbance occurs when there is an extreme discrepancy between one's body image and the perceptions of others and extreme dissatisfaction with one's body image.

Question 10

Several medications are prescribed for a client who has anorexia. Which medication may be prescribed to help treat the client's distorted body image?

Accepted Answer

Several classes of drugs have been studied, but few have shown clinical success. Amitriptyline (Elavil) and the antihistamine cyproheptadine (Periactin) in high doses (up to 28 mg/day) can promote weight gain in clients with anorexia nervosa. Olanzapine (Zyprexa) has been used with success because of its antipsychotic effect (on bizarre body image distortions) and associated weight gain. Fluoxetine (Prozac) has some effectiveness in preventing relapse in clients whose weight has been partially or completely restored. However, close monitoring is needed because weight loss can be a side effect.

Question 11

The nurse uses cognitiveñbehavioral approaches to assist the client with bulimia toward recovery. Which statement by the nurse would be consistent with this approach?

Accepted Answer

CBT has been found to be the most effective treatment for bulimia. This outpatient approach often requires a detailed manual to guide treatment. Strategies designed to change the client's thinking (cognition) and actions (behavior) about food focus on interrupting the cycle of dieting, binging, and purging and altering dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs about food, weight, body image, and overall self-concept.

Question 12

Which may help a person to overcome an eating disorder that causes weight gain?

Accepted Answer

Cognitiveñbehavioral therapy has been found to be the most effective treatment for bulimia. Strategies designed to change the client's thinking (cognition) and actions (behavior) about food focus on interrupting the cycle of dieting, binging, and purging and altering dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs about food, weight, body image, and overall self-concept. All of the other statements are factors that may reinforce the continuing cycle of an eating disorder.

Question 13

The nurse is assessing a client with an eating disorder. Which personality characteristic would the nurse expect to detect when interacting with the client?

Accepted Answer

Family members often describe clients with anorexia nervosa as perfectionists with above-average intelligence, achievement oriented, dependable, eager to please, and seeking approval before their condition began. Parents describe clients as being good, causing us no trouble until the onset of anorexia. Likewise, clients with bulimia often are focused on pleasing others and avoiding conflict.

Question 14

When documenting the mental status exam findings in the chart of a client with anorexia, the nurse notes poor judgment and insight. Which client statement would support this impression?

Accepted Answer

Clients with anorexia have very limited insight and poor judgment about their health status. They do not believe they have a problem; rather, they believe others are trying to interfere with their ability to lose weight and to achieve the desired body image. Facts about failing health status are not enough to convince these clients of their true problems.

Question 15

All of the following nursing diagnoses are appropriate for the care of a client with anorexia. Which nursing diagnosis has the highest priority?

Accepted Answer

Nursing diagnoses for clients with eating disorders include imbalanced nutritionóless than/more than body requirements, activity intolerance, ineffective coping, and chronic low self-esteem. When prioritizing nursing diagnoses, physical needs must be met before psychosocial needs (apply Maslow's hierarchy of needs). Of the physical needs, nutritional imbalances pose a more acute threat than decreased activity levels. When addressing psychosocial needs, improving coping skills will eventually lead to rise in self-esteem.

Question 16

Which nursing intervention would be most likely to help the client with anorexia to establish healthy eating patterns?

Accepted Answer

Nursing interventions designed to establish nutritional eating patterns include sitting with the client during meals and snacks, giving a liquid protein supplement to replace any food not eaten to ensure consumption of the total number of prescribed calories, adhering to treatment program guidelines regarding restrictions, observing the client following meals and snacks for 1 to 2 hours, weighing client daily in uniform clothing, and being alert for attempts to hide or discard food or inflate weight.

Question 17

The nurse is assisting the client with anorexia to express feelings more openly. Which response by the nurse would be most likely to encourage expression of feelings?

Accepted Answer

Because clients with anorexia have problems with self-awareness, they often have difficulty identifying and expressing feelings. Therefore, they often express these feelings in terms of somatic complaints such as feeling fat or bloated. The nurse can help clients begin to recognize emotions by asking them to describe how they are feeling and allowing adequate time for response. The nurse should not ask, Are you sad? or Are you anxious? because a client may quickly agree rather than struggle for an answer. The nurse encourages the client to describe her or his feelings. This approach can eventually help clients to recognize their emotions and to connect them to their eating behaviors.

Question 18

The nurse is teaching a client with bulimia to use self-monitoring techniques. Which client statement would let the nurse know that this has been effective?

Accepted Answer

Self-monitoring is a cognitiveñbehavioral technique designed to help clients with bulimia. The nurse encourages clients to keep a diary of all food eaten throughout the day, including binges, and to record moods, emotions, thoughts, circumstances, and interactions surrounding eating and binging or purging episodes. In this way, clients begin to see connections between emotions and situations and eating behaviors. The nurse can then help clients to develop ways to manage emotions such as anxiety by using relaxation techniques or distraction with music or another activity.

Question 19

The nurse understands that before a client with an eating disorder can accept their body image, he or she must first learn effective coping skills. Which statement best describes the relationship between body image and coping skills?

Accepted Answer

When clients experience relief from emotional distress, have increased self-esteem, and can meet their emotional needs in healthy ways, they are more likely to accept their weight and body image.

Question 20

When preparing a client with bulimia for discharge, the nurse suggests that the client and family continue with family therapy on an outpatient basis. Which of the following is the rationale for this suggestion?

Accepted Answer

Dysfunctional relationships with significant others often are a primary issue for clients with eating disorders. In addition, support groups in the community or via the internet can offer support, education, and resources to clients and their families or significant others.

Quiz 20: Eating Disorders