Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 87%
Simulated
A nurse is assessing a client with suspected dehydration. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
Correct answer
D
Rationale
The correct answer is D: Dry, sticky oral mucosa. Dehydration leads to decreased fluid volume in the body, resulting in dryness and stickiness of the oral mucosa due to reduced saliva production. This finding is a classic sign of dehydration. Elevated blood pressure (A) is not typically associated with dehydration; in fact, low blood pressure is more common. Moist mucous membranes (B) and increased skin turgor (C) are actually signs of hydration and not dehydration. Therefore, they would not be expected in a client with suspected dehydration.