The nurse is caring for a client with Crohn's disease who has developed a fistula.Which nursing intervention is the highest priority?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The client with Crohn's disease is already at risk for malabsorption and malnutrition.Malnutrition impairs healing of the fistula and immune responses.Therefore,maintaining adequate nutrition is a priority for this client.The client will require 3000 calories per day to promote healing of the fistula.Monitoring the client's blood sugar and hemoglobin levels is important,but less so than encouraging nutritional intake.The client need not be positioned to facilitate gravity drainage of the fistula,because fistulas often are found in the abdominal cavity.

The Nurse Is Caring for a Client with Crohn's Disease