Patient Assessment and Diagnosis Flashcards
7 cards from real CARN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Assessment and Diagnosis flashcards as text
A nurse assesses a patient 36 hours post-last benzodiazepine use. The patient scores 18 on the CIWA-Ar. What is the correct interpretation?
Answer: Moderate withdrawal; pharmacological treatment indicated
A CIWA-Ar score of 15–20 indicates moderate withdrawal, warranting pharmacological management typically with benzodiazepines.
When assessing a patient suspected of cannabis use disorder, the nurse should ask about which symptom cluster that appears within one week of heavy, prolonged use cessation?
Answer: Irritability, sleep disturbance, decreased appetite, and restlessness
Cannabis withdrawal syndrome includes irritability, anxiety, sleep problems, and decreased appetite, typically peaking in the first week of abstinence.
A patient with an extensive opioid use history presents with pinpoint pupils, decreased respirations of 8/min, and unresponsiveness. Which assessment action is the nurse's first priority?
Answer: Administer naloxone per protocol
Signs of opioid overdose with respiratory depression require immediate naloxone administration to reverse life-threatening CNS and respiratory depression.
Which laboratory finding most strongly suggests chronic heavy alcohol use during a nursing assessment?
Answer: Elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
Chronically elevated GGT combined with macrocytosis (elevated MCV) is a sensitive marker of prolonged heavy alcohol consumption.
In assessing trauma history as part of addiction intake, the nurse should prioritize asking because:
Answer: Trauma and substance use disorders are highly co-occurring and trauma may drive use
High rates of co-occurring PTSD and SUD mean trauma-informed screening is essential for understanding the function of substance use and guiding treatment.
When performing a nursing assessment on a patient prescribed methadone for OUD, which cardiac risk does the nurse most need to monitor?
Answer: QTc interval prolongation
Methadone is associated with QTc prolongation and risk of Torsades de Pointes, requiring baseline and periodic ECG monitoring.
A patient minimizes substance use when answering AUDIT questions, reporting only occasional use. Which assessment strategy best addresses underreporting?
Answer: Use collateral information and biomarkers alongside self-report
Combining self-report with collateral history and laboratory biomarkers (GGT, MCV, ETG) increases accuracy when patients minimize use.