Question

A child with cirrhosis of the liver is admitted to the acute care facility in preparation for a liver transplant. When completing the physical examination, what would the nurse expect to assess?

a) Jaundice
b) Hypertension
c) Increased urine output
d) Bradycardia

Answer 1

A nurse would expect to assess jaundice when examining a child with cirrhosis of the liver, as it is a common symptom of liver dysfunction characterized by yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes.

Step-by-step explanation:

When completing the physical examination of a child with cirrhosis of the liver in preparation for a liver transplant, the nurse would expect to assess symptoms associated with impaired liver function. One of the key symptoms of liver dysfunction that the nurse may observe is jaundice, which is a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes resulting from increased levels of bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice occurs because cirrhosis impairs the liver's ability to process and remove bilirubin, a byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells.

Jaundice is often present in various types of liver disease and can be due to a number of factors including obstruction of bile flow, damage to the liver cells, or excessive breakdown of red blood cells. Hepatic cirrhosis can also lead to other symptoms such as ascites (fluid retention in the abdominal cavity), hepatic encephalopathy (neuropsychiatric abnormalities), and impaired production of proteins. However, based on the options provided, jaundice is the most expected assessment finding.