LPN Therapeutic Diets and Enteral Feedings 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient on a mechanical soft diet has difficulty swallowing pills. Which action by the LPN is most appropriate?
- Crush all medications and mix with applesauce
- Consult the pharmacist about liquid or crushable alternatives (Correct answer)
- Withhold medications until the patient can swallow better
- Break all capsules open and sprinkle contents on food
Correct answer: Consult the pharmacist about liquid or crushable alternatives
The pharmacist should be consulted before altering medication forms, as some medications (enteric-coated, extended-release) cannot be safely crushed.
Question 2: Which laboratory value is most important to monitor in a patient receiving long-term enteral nutrition via nasogastric tube?
- Serum calcium
- Serum albumin and prealbumin (Correct answer)
- Serum potassium only
- Complete blood count only
Correct answer: Serum albumin and prealbumin
Serum albumin and prealbumin are key markers of nutritional status and are used to assess the effectiveness of enteral nutrition therapy.
Question 3: A patient with chronic kidney disease is placed on a renal diet. Which food should the LPN instruct the patient to AVOID?
- White rice
- Bananas and oranges (Correct answer)
- Pasta with olive oil
- Eggs
Correct answer: Bananas and oranges
Bananas and oranges are high in potassium, which must be restricted in chronic kidney disease to prevent hyperkalemia.
Question 4: The LPN is caring for a patient receiving continuous tube feedings. The patient's residual volume is 280 mL. What is the correct action?
- Continue the feeding at the same rate
- Stop the feeding and notify the nurse or provider (Correct answer)
- Discard the residual and continue feeding
- Increase the feeding rate to compensate
Correct answer: Stop the feeding and notify the nurse or provider
A gastric residual volume above 200–250 mL indicates delayed gastric emptying and should be reported to the provider before continuing feedings.
Question 5: A patient with celiac disease asks the LPN which grain is safe to consume. Which response is correct?
- Wheat
- Barley
- Rye
- Rice (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Rice
Rice is gluten-free and safe for patients with celiac disease; wheat, barley, and rye all contain gluten.
Question 6: Which action should the LPN take FIRST before initiating a bolus tube feeding?
- Elevate the head of the bed to 30–45 degrees
- Check tube placement and residual volume (Correct answer)
- Flush the tube with 60 mL of water
- Warm the formula to room temperature
Correct answer: Check tube placement and residual volume
Verifying tube placement and checking residual volume are the priority safety checks before administering any tube feeding.
Question 7: A patient on a low-sodium diet receives a lunch tray. Which item indicates a dietary error that the LPN should address?
- Fresh fruit salad
- Canned vegetable soup (Correct answer)
- Unsalted crackers
- Plain baked chicken breast
Correct answer: Canned vegetable soup
Canned soups are typically very high in sodium and are not appropriate for a low-sodium therapeutic diet.
LPN Therapeutic Diets and Enteral Feedings 2
A patient on a mechanical soft diet has difficulty swallowing pills.
Which action by the LPN is most appropriate?