Question

Despite being admitted to the hospital yesterday for the treatment of complications of anorexia nervosa, a 19-year-old client continues to refuse fluids and is only taking small bites of food during mealtime. Which nursing diagnosis is paramount in this client's care?

Answer 1

Complete question:

Despite being admitted to the hospital yesterday for the treatment of complications of anorexia nervosa, a 19-year-old client continues to refuse fluids and is only taking small bites of food during mealtime. Which nursing diagnosis is paramount in this client's care?

a) Hyperactivity related to restlessness

b) Anxiety related to inadewute coping mechanisms

c) Impaired social interaction related to aggressive behaviour

d) Deficient fluid volume related to refusal to drink

Answer:

Deficient fluid volume related to refusal to drink

Explanation:

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes people to self-starve and leads to weight loss. It makes the person to obsess about weight loss which causes them to mind what they eat. It also makes people to over exercise. In most cases, it is life threatening and also long-lasting.

It is often caused by psychological factors like low self-esteem, reaction to stress or even anxiety.

In this case, the patient refuses any form of fluid, and only takes a bite of food during mealtime. It is quite clear there would be deficiency in the patient's fluid volume due to the patient's refusal to drink. Therefore, the nursing diagnosis that will be paramount to this client's care would be deficient fluid volume related to refusal to drink.