Ulcerative colitis
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
GI / Liver / PancreasAutoimmune / Geneticmedium priorityneeds review
Ulcerative colitis
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Inflammatory bowel disease affecting colon and rectum.
- Continuous mucosal inflammation causes bloody diarrhea and urgency.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Corticosteroids | Used for flares in selected plans. |
Nursing actions
- Assess stool frequency, blood, hydration, and anemia symptoms.
- Monitor for toxic megacolon and perforation signs.
- Support nutrition and skin care around frequent stooling.
Complications
- Toxic megacolon
- Perforation
- Colon cancer risk
- Anemia
NCLEX cues
- Bloody diarrhea.
- Continuous colon involvement.
Memory hooks
- UC is ulcerated colon.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.