A Patient with Chronic Heart Failure Who Has Been Following

A patient with chronic heart failure who has been following a low-sodium diet tells the nurse at the clinic about a 5-pound weight gain in the last 3 days. The nurse's first action will be to

A) ask the patient to recall the dietary intake for the last 3 days because there may be hidden sources of sodium in the patient's diet.
B) instruct the patient in a low-calorie, low-fat diet because the weight gain has likely been caused by excessive intake of inappropriate foods.
C) assess the patient for clinical manifestations of acute heart failure because an exacerbation of the chronic heart failure may be occurring.
D) educate the patient about the use of diuretic therapy because it is likely that the patient will need medications to reduce the hypervolemia.