The nurse teaches a client who has had surgery to increase which nutrient to help with tissue repair?

AIIMS Bhatinda NO - 2019

Applied Nutrition & Dietetics

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS Bhatinda NO - 2019

Explanation

Proteins are broken down into amino acids, which are the essential building blocks required to repair damaged tissues and synthesize new cells after surgery.
Adequate protein intake is crucial for the formation of collagen, the primary structural protein in connective tissue, which is vital for wound strength and integrity.
The physiological stress of surgery increases the body's metabolic rate and protein requirements to support the immune response and prevent infections at the surgical site.
A state of positive nitrogen balance, achieved through sufficient protein intake, is necessary to prevent muscle breakdown and promote effective wound healing.

Option A: Fats are a primary source of energy and essential fatty acids, but they are not the main structural components for building and repairing tissue.
Option C: While vitamins (like Vitamin C and A) are crucial cofactors in the healing process (e.g., for collagen synthesis), they do not provide the actual building blocks for new tissue.
Option D: Carbohydrates are the body's primary energy source. Their main role in healing is to 'spare' protein, preventing it from being used for energy so it can be dedicated to tissue repair.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Post-operative nutrition for tissue repair to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses play a vital role in assessing a post-operative patient's nutritional status, monitoring for signs of malnutrition (e.g., edema, poor wound healing), and collaborating with the healthcare team to ensure adequate protein intake.
Patient education is a key nursing responsibility. The nurse should teach the patient and family about the importance of a high-protein diet for recovery and provide examples of protein-rich foods.
What if? If the patient also has chronic kidney disease (CKD), a very high-protein diet could be harmful. In this case, the nurse must collaborate closely with a dietitian to provide a carefully controlled amount of protein that supports healing without overburdening the kidneys.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key physiological process in the question stem, which is 'tissue repair' following 'surgery'.
Next, recall the primary functions of the four nutrient classes listed in the options.
Analyze the roles: Proteins are for building/repairing. Carbohydrates and Fats are for energy. Vitamins are helpers (cofactors).
Connect the physiological need ('repair') with the nutrient that performs that primary function.
Conclude that proteins are the direct building blocks for tissue, making them the most important nutrient to increase for repair.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nursing Brunner Adult Health 3SA Vol 1 Part 1 p. 58-60

E6 textbook of Applied Biochemistry and Nutrition & DieteticsHarbans Lal (pp 26-464 of 479) pp. 389-391, 388-390