Walkthrough: Physiological Adaptation Q16 – NCLEX-RN®

00:00 A nurse is providing teaching to a client diagnosed with cirrhosis. Which statement does the nurse provide that explains the main cause of the liver failure? Alright, let's break this one down guys. We've just got 2 sentences, so won't be a big deal.

00:16 I'm a nurse and I'm going to provide teaching. This client has cirrhosis. So this is what my teaching is going to be about, cirrhosis. Now, think about that's a diagnosis. What do you know about cirrhosis? What does that do to a patient? Just think of that real quickly when you see a diagnosis. Next, here's our last and second question in a statement. What do we have there? Which statement does the nurse provide that explains the main cause of the liver function failure? Ah, okay.

00:48 So, we know they have cirrhosis. Now, I like to think about what is the cause of liver function failure in cirrhosis? Cool. Alright, so you try and think what your opinion is of that answer before you look at the answer choices then we're going to bring those 4 answer choices in. Use your numbers that you've written down on your scratch paper; the number 1, the number 2, number 3, and number 4 and think, ask yourself 4 different times. Is this the main cause of liver function failure in cirrhosis? Yes or no. Say why. Know the next answer choice. Is this the main cause of liver function failure in cirrhosis? Yes or no. So good luck, do the heavy lifting, we'll see you back when you're ready to come back and we'll do the walk through together.

01:42 Welcome back. Now, you don't know this because the editor is going to take care of it and this will be the second take on me answering this answer choices because you know what I did, I didn't follow my own suggestion for you. So, I'm a faculty, I've taught thousands of people how to do test taking strategies and I just made a mistake. That's a great thing for you to keep in mind because if you don't stay diligent, when you get distracted things like that happens.

02:11 So, I have no problem telling you "Oh we edited this one so I'm back for another take but I wanna walk you through it." It is so important that you keep your eyes on the price, that you know what you're looking for in the question. So what was the topic of this? So which statement does the nurse provide that explains the main cause of liver function failure? Okay, so I'm looking for what cause this liver function failure? Now, delete number 1, cirrhosis causes the liver to not filter or detoxify the blood. Well, I know that because we have talked about cirrhosis and remember, just saying we got a really cool video series on that. We spent a lot of time pulling that together for you so click on over and check some of that out after we walk through this question. But cirrhosis causes the liver to not filter or detoxify the blood. Is that a true statement? Well, what is it asking you there? What's the main cause of liver function failure? It's saying cirrhosis is what causes the liver to not be able to filter or detoxify blood. We'll leave it in. Number 2, is this the main cause of liver function failure that cirrhosis increases bowel production? Ah, no. Now, because cirrhosis doesn't cause increased bowel production but the question is asking me "Is it the cause of liver function failure?" No. Increased bowel production would not be the cause of liver function failure.

03:48 So, 2 I feel comfortable getting rid of. Number 3, so is this the main cause of liver function failure? Cirrhosis impedes the blood flow. Absolutely. That is a cause so I'm leaving that in. Now number 4. Cirrhosis prevents the ability of the liver to create red blood cells. Ahaha you're not catching on that one because I know that the liver helps clean out old blood cells but it does not produce red blood cells in the liver, that's the bone marrow. So, number 4, you're out. We are down to number 1 and number 3. So remember that, see how they hit that answer choice in there? It's not the liver that creates red blood cells, it's the bone marrow. In case you're shaky on that, you know they're betting on your thinking "Ah, the liver does something with red blood cells?" and so they're likely to catch people on that answer but not you. So a little bit difference between answer choice number 1 and number 3. Cirrhosis causes liver to not filter or detoxify the blood. While that's true, it's not really the cause here, we're going with number 3, cirrhosis impedes blood flow. That is the main cause. When that liver comes back from the damage it's had, remember it grows back all kind of gnarly and the blood cannot flow through it, can't do what it needs to do because that liver ends up almost kind of fibrotic from the damage. It's got scarring, and that's what ends up being cirrhosis.

05:26 The liver becomes fibrotic tissue that is scarred. The blood flow can't get through, the pressure increases, you end up backing up in the whole portal system, it's a whole hot mess. So number 3 is the most correct answer. So pause and reflect here, think about what you've done, how you've answered it, did you get it right, did you get it wrong, do you need a quick brush up on the liver? I'm telling you, check out our videos. We'll break it all down for you with really great graphics. So, make a note if you want to look at that later, take down notes on what you can take from this question and carry it into the next question. Maybe it's the liver what causes cirrhosis, maybe it's what happens, the fibrotic damage and problems that happen in cirrhosis. You figure out what's most important to you, what needs to go in your notebook, and then write that down, follow up later when you do your notebook review, and will join us for the next question.