Prolonged immobility can lead to:

Appeared in: Bihar NHM CHO-2025

Explanation

Prolonged immobility directly leads to disuse of the musculoskeletal system.
Lack of muscle use causes disuse atrophy, where muscle fibers decrease in size and strength due to protein breakdown.
Without weight-bearing stress, bone resorption (breakdown) exceeds bone formation, leading to a net loss of bone mass and density, a condition known as disuse osteoporosis.
This combination of muscle wasting and bone demineralization significantly weakens the body and increases the risk of pathological fractures.

Option B: Immobility causes a rapid decline in muscle strength and mass, not enhancement. Muscle strength can decrease by approximately 3% per day on strict bed rest.
Option C: Prolonged bed rest often disrupts normal sleep-wake cycles and can lead to sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression, rather than better sleep.
Option D: Immobility impairs circulation by causing venous stasis (pooling of blood in the lower extremities), which increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and orthostatic hypotension.

Visual 1: Diagram: Illustration showing the difference between a normal muscle fiber and an atrophied muscle fiber.
Visual 2: Infographic: Flowchart depicting how immobility leads to bone resorption and disuse osteoporosis.
Visual 3: Image: A patient with foot drop, a common contracture resulting from prolonged immobility.
Visual 4: Diagram: Illustration of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in a leg vein, highlighting the risk from venous stasis.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Systemic effects of prolonged immobility as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a crucial role in preventing the hazards of immobility through early mobilization, frequent repositioning, and implementing range-of-motion (ROM) exercises.
Recognizing the signs of complications like DVT (e.g., calf pain, swelling, redness) and respiratory infections is a critical nursing responsibility for immobilized patients.
Patient and family education on the importance of movement and adherence to prescribed activity levels is essential for preventing long-term complications and promoting recovery.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core concept in the question stem, which is 'prolonged immobility'.
Recall the physiological effects of inactivity on the major body systems.
Evaluate each option against this knowledge. Ask yourself: 'Does inactivity cause this effect?'
Option A: Does immobility cause muscle and bone loss? Yes, this is a well-known complication.
Option B: Does immobility enhance strength? No, it causes weakness.
Option C: Does immobility improve sleep? No, it often disrupts it.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Potter & Perry Fundamentals of Nursing 9th Edition — Part 1 p. 356-367

Practise the full Bihar NHM CHO-2025

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.