A 15-year-old patient suffered a head injury as the result of a bicycle accident.The nurse is concerned about potential fluid complications caused by the injury.What should the nurse monitor most closely?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Antidiuretic hormone regulates osmolality of body fluids by influencing how much water is excreted in urine.The hypothalamus controls release of ADH from the posterior pituitary gland.Head injury may cause altered urine output by injuring the hypothalamus or pituitary.A head injury would not involve the adrenal gland.The adrenal cortex releases aldosterone in response to increased plasma potassium concentration or as the end product of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS).Renin,released by the kidneys,acts on the inactive protein angiotensinogen to produce angiotensin I.Other enzymes in the lung capillaries convert to angiotensin II.Again,there is no direct correlation to head injury.Body temperature does not reflect fluid imbalance directly.

A 15-Year-Old Patient Suffered a Head Injury as the Result