Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate for a client with Addison's disease?

Which nursing diagnosis is most appropriate for a client with Addison's disease?

• A. Risk for infection
• B. Excessive fluid volume
• C. Urinary retention
• D. Hypothermia

Answer: (A)

The main idea is recognizing how adrenal insufficiency alters the body’s ability to respond to stress and infection. In Addison’s disease, lack of cortisol means the body cannot mount an adequate stress response and regulate inflammatory processes during illness. Infections are a common precipitating factor for an Addisonian crisis, so a nursing diagnosis that highlights vulnerability to infection captures the most critical risk for these clients. Inclusion of infection risk helps focus care on early recognition of fever, changes in vital signs, potential sepsis, and timely treatment, which are essential because infection can rapidly worsen the patient’s condition when cortisol response is blunted. The other options don’t fit as well: fluid overload isn’t typical because aldosterone deficiency promotes loss of sodium and water, leading to dehydration rather than excess fluid; urinary retention isn’t a hallmark of Addison’s; hypothermia isn’t the primary or most clinically pressing risk.

The main idea is recognizing how adrenal insufficiency alters the body’s ability to respond to stress and infection. In Addison’s disease, lack of cortisol means the body cannot mount an adequate stress response and regulate inflammatory processes during illness. Infections are a common precipitating factor for an Addisonian crisis, so a nursing diagnosis that highlights vulnerability to infection captures the most critical risk for these clients.

Inclusion of infection risk helps focus care on early recognition of fever, changes in vital signs, potential sepsis, and timely treatment, which are essential because infection can rapidly worsen the patient’s condition when cortisol response is blunted.

The other options don’t fit as well: fluid overload isn’t typical because aldosterone deficiency promotes loss of sodium and water, leading to dehydration rather than excess fluid; urinary retention isn’t a hallmark of Addison’s; hypothermia isn’t the primary or most clinically pressing risk.