Author Question: A nurse is caring for an elderly client with muscle atrophy. Which of the following conditions can ... (Read 58 times)

luvbio · **on:** Jul 22, 2018

A nurse is caring for an elderly client with muscle atrophy. Which of the following conditions can lead to muscle atrophy in elderly clients?

A) Age-related skin changes
B) Being bedridden for 1 or 2 days
C) Poor hydration
D) Indwelling catheter

Question 2

When maintaining medical records for a client, the nurse knows that a medical record also serves as legally admissible evidence. What should the nurse do to ensure legally defensible charting?

A) Ensure that the client's name appears on all pages.
B) Leave spaces between entries and signature.
C) Use abbreviations wherever possible.
D) Record all facts and subjective interpretations.

pallen55 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

B
Feedback:
Muscle atrophy can occur in older adults who have been on bed rest even for 1 or 2 days. Range of motion and muscle tone can be maintained through routine active or passive range of motion exercises. Elderly clients having age-related skin changes and poor hydration can have slow wound healing. An indwelling catheter in elderly clients can lead to urinary tract infection, not muscle atrophy.

Answer to Question 2

A
Feedback:
The nurse should ensure that the client's name appears on all pages to ensure legally defensible charting. The nurse should not leave spaces between entries and signature so that the document is legally acceptable. The nurse should use only abbreviations approved by the facility, and not use abbreviations wherever possible. The nurse should record all the facts but not any subjective interpretations, to ensure that the document is legal evidence.