Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 90%
Simulated
A nurse is caring for a client who has cirrhosis of the liver and is receiving spironolactone. Which of the following findings indicates that the client responding to the treatment?
Correct answer
B
Rationale
The correct answer is B: Decreased ascites. Spironolactone is a diuretic commonly used to treat fluid retention in patients with cirrhosis. Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, a common complication of liver cirrhosis. Improvement in ascites indicates that the spironolactone is effectively reducing fluid retention. Decreased jaundice (choice A) is not directly related to spironolactone use. Increased energy (choice C) and increased appetite (choice D) are subjective and nonspecific findings that do not directly indicate response to spironolactone in treating ascites.