Question

A nurse is assessing the mouth of a client who has a vitamin B12 insufficiency. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?

a) White patches on the tongue
b) Bleeding of the gums
c) Beefy red tongue
d) Petechiae of the hard palate

Answer 1

A nurse should expect to find a 'beefy red tongue' when assessing the mouth of a client with a vitamin B12 insufficiency. This symptom is indicative of glossitis and is associated with pernicious anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse is assessing the mouth of a client with a vitamin B12 insufficiency, one of the findings they might expect is a beefy red tongue. This condition, also known as glossitis, is characterized by a smooth, red, and often painful tongue. The mouth may show other signs of vitamin B12 deficiency as well, including characteristic lesions of the lips, fissures at the angles of the mouth (cheilosis), and magenta tongue. However, among the options provided, the most typical oral manifestation related to vitamin B12 deficiency is a beefy red tongue.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to pernicious anemia, which affects the gastrointestinal tract and may result in poor absorption of nutrients including vitamin B12 itself. Deficiency diseases like pernicious anemia can have various clinical signs, and treatment often involves vitamin supplementation and addressing the underlying causes of malabsorption.