A client is diagnosed with acute gastritis secondary to alcoholism and cirrhosis. The client reports frequent nausea, pain that increases after meals, and black, tarry stools. The client recently joined Alcoholics Anonymous. The nurse would give priority to which client history item?1Black, tarry stools2Frequent nausea3Joining Alcoholics Anonymous4Pain that increases after meals
The nurse would prioritize the client history item of black, tarry stools
The nurse would prioritize the client history item of black, tarry stools.
Black, tarry stools are indicative of gastrointestinal bleeding, which is a serious complication of acute gastritis. Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to the passage of dark, sticky, and foul-smelling stools. This symptom suggests that the client’s condition has worsened and immediate medical intervention may be required.
While frequent nausea, pain that increases after meals, and joining Alcoholics Anonymous are all important aspects of the client’s history and should be addressed, they do not indicate a potential life-threatening complication as black, tarry stools do. Therefore, the nurse should prioritize addressing the gastrointestinal bleeding before addressing the other concerns.
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