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A 36-year-old female who has experienced diverse symptoms for several years has finally had her health problems attributed to scleroderma (systemic sclerosis), and has committed herself to learning as much about the disease as she can. Which statement would her nurse want to correct or clarify?

A client with rheumatoid arthritis has been taking a combination of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which are a variety of immunosuppressants and immunomodulators, for years. Which laboratory result(s) indicate the client may be experiencing toxic adverse effects and will need the medications adjusted? Select all that apply.

A health care provider is attempting a differential diagnosis of a 30-year-old female who is suspected of having systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Which assessment and history findings correlate with SLE? Select all that apply.

Which recent admission to an emergency department is most likely to be diagnosed with a greenstick fracture?

A client with pancreatic cancer is admitted for portal hypertension and is symptomatic with ascites. Following paracentesis and removal of 7.5 L of ascitic fluid, the nurse should anticipate that the physician will order which medication to assist in maintaining an effective circulating fluid volume?

During assessment of a client with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the nurse hears a friction rub when the stethoscope is placed over the heart. Which complication of SLE will the nurse document in the medical records and report to the health care provider?

A 56-year-old female with a diagnosis of breast cancer has developed bone metastases that her oncologist would like to treat with radiation therapy. What is her physician’s most likely primary goal in the treatment plan of the metastases?

A 53-year-old woman with a history of chronic alcohol abuse but without visible jaundice comes to the clinic complaining of nausea and weakness. She admits to taking acetaminophen for persistent headaches but denies exceeding the recommended daily dose; she has not taken any other medications. She is suspected of having acetaminophen toxicity. Which diagnostic test finding would implicate a different cause of her symptoms?

A 13-year-old girl and her father come in to the local health clinic hoping to see an orthopedic doctor about the girl’s stiff and warm knee. The father reports that she hurt it sliding into base during a softball game, and the daughter concurs, but with further discussion it becomes clear that the slide made an existing pain worse. Her knee had been stiff, warm, and shiny, and had been keeping her awake at night for a week or so before the game. What might be the cause of the girl’s symptoms?

Which statement best captures the role of the adrenal cortex in maintaining homeostasis?