Question

A nurse is assessing two clients. One client has ulcerative colitis, and the other client has Crohn's disease. Which is more likely to be identified by the client with ulcerative colitis than the client with Crohn's disease?

A) Abdominal pain and tenderness

B) Skip lesions in the intestine

C) Perianal fistulas

D) Rectal bleeding

Answer 1

Clients with ulcerative colitis are more likely to experience rectal bleeding than those with Crohn's disease because ulcerative colitis primarily affects the colon and rectum.Crohn's disease could cause bleeding, but it is less confined to the rectum compared to ulcerative colitis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The client with ulcerative colitis is more likely to identify rectal bleeding than the client with Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis primarily affects the colon and rectum, leading to symptoms like lower abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, which can result in rectal bleeding. In contrast, while Crohn's disease can involve any part of the GI tract and also lead to abdominal pain and diarrhea, it is characterized more by skip lesions in the intestine, and complications like perianal fistulas. Crohn's disease could cause bleeding, but it is less confined to the rectum compared to ulcerative colitis.