Final answer:
During the icteric phase of viral hepatitis, a nurse should expect to see symptoms such as jaundice, dark urine, gray stool, abdominal pain, and general signs like nausea and malaise, amongst others, all of which signify liver inflammation and damage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The icteric phase of viral hepatitis is characterized by distinct clinical features arising from liver inflammation and damage. During this phase, the nurse should expect the client to exhibit several specific signs and symptoms that include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes), dark urine, and gray stool. Additionally, there may be pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, anorexia, malaise, and joint pain. Fever, anemia, abdominal symptoms, transaminitis, and gastrointestinal bleeding with bloody vomit can also occur. Symptoms such as confusion and apathy may indicate more severe disease. These manifestations are attributed to the body's immune response to the viral infection affecting hepatocytes, leading to impaired liver function.