Answer to Question 1
Has not eaten over past 3 days (d/t pain)
Alcohol intake
Frequent consumption of fast food
50 wt. gain x 5 years
Attempting to stop antidepressant meds (may affect appetite or may use food as a replacement)
Mr. Mahon's initial nursing assessment shows signs of dehydration (cloudy, amber urine; tenting of skin; poor skin integritydry, tears; dry mucous membranes), which will affect calculations for fluid requirements. Mr. Mahon has a fever and his skin is clammy and diaphoretic. Presence of fever may increase energy needs.
Answer to Question 2
The stage number I-V refers to how extensive the disease is.
- Higher numbers indicate more extensive disease, greater tumor size, and/or spread of the cancer to nearby lymph nodes and/or organs.
- In stage IV, the cancer has spread to distant tissues and organs.
The Tumor Node Metastases (TNM) Staging System uses T, N, and M to further categorize the tumor.
- The T category describes the original tumor:
TX means the tumor can't be measured or found.
T0 means there is no evidence of a primary tumor.
Tis means the tumor has not started growing into surrounding tissues.
The numbers T1-T4 describe size and/or level of invasion into nearby structures.
- The N category describes whether or not the cancer has reached nearby lymph nodes:
NX means nearby lymph nodes can't be measured or found.
N0 means nearby lymph nodes do not contain cancer.
N1-N3 describe size, location, and/or the number of lymph nodes involved.
- The M category tells whether there are distant metastases:
MX means metastasis can't be measured or found.
M0 means there are no known distant metastases.
M1 means distant metastases are present.
- In stage T2 N2b, it means that cancerous cells have invaded into nearby tissues and are found in 7 or more nearby lymph nodes.