Question

"Regulatory Disorders A 4-year-old pediatric patient with a new diagnosis of diabetes insipidus has a urine specific gravity of 1.025. The RN considers which of the following interventions to be the priority? a)Administer an isotonic fluid ordered by the health care provider. b)Encourage the patient to drink 3 liters of liquid each day. c)Have a bedside commode next to the patient's bed. d)Recommend the parents carry bottled water for travel."

Answer 1

In a pediatric patient with a new diagnosis of diabetes insipidus and a urine specific gravity of 1.025, the priority intervention is to:

a) Administer an isotonic fluid ordered by the health care provider.

Diabetes insipidus is a condition characterized by excessive thirst and the excretion of large amounts of dilute urine. In this case, the urine specific gravity of 1.025 suggests that the urine is concentrated, which is abnormal in diabetes insipidus. To manage this condition, the patient often requires replacement of the fluid they are losing, and this should be done with an isotonic fluid as prescribed by the healthcare provider. This intervention helps maintain the patient's fluid and electrolyte balance.

While the other options (b, c, and d) may be important for managing diabetes insipidus, administering the prescribed isotonic fluid takes precedence as it addresses the immediate physiological needs of the patient.