Final answer:
The expected therapeutic response after taking lactulose for several days for a patient with hepatic encephalopathy is improved mental status, as lactulose helps to decrease high blood ammonia levels that contribute to neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient with hepatic encephalopathy is taking lactulose, the primary therapeutic response that a nurse should expect is a. Improved mental status. Hepatic encephalopathy is a reversible neuropsychiatric condition associated with liver failure, characterized by symptoms such as confusion, stupor, and coma. Lactulose helps lower blood ammonia levels, which can contribute to these neuropsychiatric symptoms. Therefore, after taking lactulose for several days, a nurse should observe an improvement in the patient's mental status, which may include reduced confusion and increased alertness.
The other options listed (b. reduction in the number of liquid stools, c. ability to ambulate independently, and d. increase in urine output) are not direct therapeutic responses to lactulose in the context of hepatic encephalopathy. While lactulose may cause an increase in stool production due to its laxative effect, this is a side effect rather than a therapeutic response for hepatic encephalopathy.