A patient with a peptic ulcer should be advised to

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2022

Explanation

A bland diet is recommended for peptic ulcer patients to reduce irritation to the gastrointestinal mucosa.
This diet consists of soft, easily digestible foods that are not mechanically, chemically, or thermally irritating.
It avoids stimulants of gastric acid secretion such as spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol.
The goal is to neutralize gastric acid, decrease stomach motility, and provide an environment conducive to healing the ulcer.

Option A: An acid ash diet is designed to acidify the urine, not to treat peptic ulcers.
Option B: The Kempner rice diet is a very restrictive diet not intended for peptic ulcer management.
Option D: While excessive fat can be problematic, a specific low-fat diet is not the primary recommendation for peptic ulcers.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Dietary management for peptic ulcer disease to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses play a crucial role in educating patients with peptic ulcers about their diet. This includes explaining the rationale for avoiding certain foods and encouraging adherence to the prescribed diet to promote healing and prevent recurrence.
It is important to teach patients to identify their individual trigger foods, as tolerance can vary. A food diary can be a helpful tool.
What if? If the patient's ulcer was caused by long-term NSAID use, the most critical intervention, alongside dietary changes, would be to discontinue the NSAID under a doctor's supervision and potentially switch to an alternative analgesic.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key condition in the question stem: 'peptic ulcer'.
Next, analyze the options provided, which are all specific types of therapeutic diets.
Recall the purpose of each diet. A bland diet is for GI irritation, an acid-ash diet is for kidney stones, a Kempner diet is for severe hypertension/renal failure, and a low-fat diet is for gallbladder/pancreatic issues.
Match the condition (peptic ulcer) with the most appropriate dietary intervention. A bland diet's goal of reducing GI irritation directly addresses the pathophysiology of a peptic ulcer.
Eliminate the other options as they are indicated for entirely different medical conditions.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nutrition Monika Sharma 3e p. 255-257

E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e pp. 245-247, 243-245

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