Question

A patient on the medical unit has a documented history of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). What principle should guide the nurses care of this patient?

A) The disease is self-limiting and cysts usually resolve spontaneously in the fifth or sixth decade of life.
B) The patients disease is incurable and the nurses interventions will be supportive.
C) The patient will eventually require surgical removal of his or her renal cysts.
D) The patient is likely to respond favorably to lithotripsy treatment of the cysts.

Answer 1

The nurse's interventions for a patient with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) will be supportive because the disease is incurable, with treatment focused on managing complications and symptoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The principle that should guide the nurse's care of a patient with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is that the patient's disease is incurable, and thus the nurse's interventions will be supportive. PKD is a genetic disorder that leads to the development of multiple abnormal cysts in the kidneys. There is no known cure for PKD other than a kidney transplant. The cysts associated with PKD do not resolve spontaneously, surgical removal of cysts is not a typical treatment, and lithotripsy is not a treatment for the cysts of PKD. Instead, treatment focuses on managing symptoms and complications such as high blood pressure and kidney failure. When kidney function is significantly impaired, options like hemodialysis or kidney transplantation may become necessary.