A patient who was diagnosed with senile dementia has become ...

[Cooldude101]

A patient who was diagnosed with senile dementia has become incontinent of urine. The patient's daughter asks the nurse why this is happening. What is the nurse's best response?
 
  a. The patient is angry about the dementia diagnosis.
  b. The patient is losing sphincter control due to the dementia.
  c. The patient forgets where the bathroom is located due to the dementia.
  d. The patient wants to leave the hospital.

Question 2

During a physical examination, the nurse notes that the patient's skin is dry and flaking. What additional data would the nurse expect to find to confirm the suspicion of a nutritional deficiency?
 
  a. Hair loss and hair that is easily removed from the scalp
  b. Inflammation of the tongue and fissured tongue
  c. Inflammation of peripheral nerves and numbness and tingling in extremities
  d. Fissures and inflammation of the mouth

[chereeb]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
Anger, wanting to leave the hospital, and forgetting where the bathroom is really have no bearing on the urinary incontinence. The patient is incontinent due to the mental ability to voluntarily control the sphincter. This is happening because of the dementia.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
Hair loss (alopecia) and hair that is easily removed from the scalp (easy pluckability), like dry, flaking skin, is caused by essential fatty acid deficiency. Inflammation of the tongue (glossitis) and fissured tongue are manifestations of a niacin deficiency. Inflammation of peripheral nerves (neuropathy) and numbness and tingling in extremities (paresthesia) are manifestations of a thiamin deficiency. Fissures of the mouth (cheilosis) and inflammation of the mouth (stomatitis) are manifestations of a pyridoxine deficiency.