Question

A nurse is planning care for a preschooler who has cystic fibrosis. Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the plan?

a. Administer pancreatic enzymes 2 hr after meals.
b. Decrease pancreatic enzymes if steatorrhea develops.
c. Limit fluid intake to 750 mL per day.
d. Increase fat content in the child's diet to 40% of total calories.

Answer 1

The nurse should administer pancreatic enzymes with meals to aid digestion in a preschooler with cystic fibrosis. Adjusting pancreatic enzyme dosages is necessary if symptoms like steatorrhea develop, and fluid intake should not be limited but maintained to help manage mucus secretions.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse planning care for a preschooler with cystic fibrosis should include different interventions that are aimed at managing the symptoms and complications of the disease. One of the typical issues in cystic fibrosis is the malfunctioning of the pancreas, leading to malabsorption of nutrients. This is why pancreatic enzymes need to be administered with meals to aid digestion.

For this reason the correct intervention is to administer pancreatic enzymes with meals, not 2 hours after as the enzymes work best when mixed with food. If steatorrhea (fatty stools indicative of malabsorption) develops, it may actually suggest that enzyme dosages need to be adjusted upward, not decreased. Limiting fluid intake is not advisable as adequate hydration is important for patients with cystic fibrosis to help thin mucus secretions. Increasing the fat content in the diet to 40% of total calories is not a standard recommendation and should be individualized based on the patient's specific nutritional needs and absorption abilities.