A nurse documents the following nursing diagnosis on a client's plan of care: "Fluid Volume Deficit related to gastrointestinal
upset from food poisoning as evidenced by vomiting and diarrhea for the past three days, slow skin turgor, and weight loss." The nurse identifies which part of the statement as the etiology?
“Food poisoning” is the part of the statement which the nurse identifies as the etiology.
Explanation:
The causation or main cause or origin of a disease or an abnormal condition is referred etiology of the disease or condition. It denotes the root cause of the problem.
Etiology leads to signs and symptoms which depicts the diseased condition, which needs to be diagnosed and treated.
In the above case, the main cause or etiology for the diagnosis of fluid volume loss due to gastrointestinal upset is food poisoning. This has led to vomiting and diarrhea leading to fluid volume loss, low skin turgor, and weight loss in the patient.
Etiology is the cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition. Therefore the fluid volume deficit is the problem and the cause (etiology) is the gastrointestinal upset from food poisoning (signs and symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea).
