Question

The nurse is assigned to care for a client with cirrhosis of the liver. The nurse recognizes that the client's impaired liver function will affect:

a) Blood clotting
b) Oxygen transport
c) Bone density
d) Muscle contraction

Answer 1

Impaired liver function due to cirrhosis affects blood clotting, as the damaged liver cannot produce essential clotting factors, leading to increased bleeding risk.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse assigned to care for a client with cirrhosis of the liver will need to understand that impaired liver function will most significantly affect blood clotting. The liver is responsible for the production of several clotting factors, and when liver function is impaired due to cirrhosis, the synthesis of these factors is diminished. This can lead to an increased risk of bleeding due to the inability to properly form blood clots. Cirrhosis is associated with the progression of liver damage and a reduction in the liver's ability to perform its normal detoxifying and metabolic functions.