Question

A client with jaundice associated with hepatitis expresses concern over the change in skin color. Which does the nurse explain is the cause of this color change?

A. Stimulation of the liver to produce an excess quantity of bile pigments
B. Inability of the liver to remove normal amounts of bilirubin from the blood
C. Increased destruction of red blood cells during the acute phase of the disease
D. Decreased prothrombin levels, leading to multiple sites of intradermal bleeding

Answer 1

The color change in jaundice is due to the liver's inability to remove normal amounts of bilirubin from the blood, leading to an accumulation in the blood and tissues, which causes the skin and mucous membranes to appear yellow.

Step-by-step explanation:

The cause of the color change in jaundice associated with hepatitis is B. the inability of the liver to remove normal amounts of bilirubin from the blood. When the liver is functioning normally, it removes bilirubin, a byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells, from the blood and excretes it in bile. However, in hepatitis and other liver diseases, the damaged liver cells cannot effectively conjugate and excrete bilirubin, which leads to both conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin levels rising in the blood. The accumulation of these bile pigments, primarily bilirubin, in the blood and peripheral tissues gives skin and mucous membranes a yellowish hue, which is the characteristic of jaundice.