Anytime I care for a patient with cirrhosis of the
liver who is in crisis, my internal alarms go off. These patients often arrive
with high ammonia levels causing confusion, extreme malnutrition, coagulation
issues, and huge abdomens from ascites. Although we check their ammonia, coags
and mental status, they are not the most important aspects of our assessment.
When caring for a patient with the above issues,
what is the most important aspect of your nursing assessment?
