Xerophthalmia
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Eye / EarPediatricsGI / Liver / Pancreasmedium priorityneeds review
Xerophthalmia
Also testable as: vitamin A deficiency eye disease
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Vitamin A deficiency from inadequate intake, malabsorption, or increased risk in vulnerable populations.
- Vitamin A deficiency impairs eye surface integrity and vision health.
Medications
No specific medication class was seeded for this card.
Signs / symptoms
- Vitamin A is tied to vision and epithelial integrity.
- Fat-soluble vitamins can become toxic with excessive supplementation.
Nursing actions
- Assess night vision concerns, eye dryness, corneal changes, diet, fat malabsorption, and food insecurity.
- Teach prescribed vitamin A/nutrition plan and safety with fat-soluble vitamin toxicity risk.
- Escalate eye pain, vision change, or corneal findings promptly.
Complications
- Corneal damage
- Vision loss
- Infection risk
NCLEX cues
- Vitamin A is tied to vision and epithelial integrity.
- Fat-soluble vitamins can become toxic with excessive supplementation.
Memory hooks
- A is for acuity and eye surfaces.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Nutrition history
- Eye assessment
- Vitamin A level when ordered
Review notes
- Generated from the nutrition entity graph. Verify against ATI/school nutrition materials before validation.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Source entitycondition card
Xerophthalmia
Condition card for Xerophthalmia: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Termglossary cue
Fat-soluble vitamins
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed with fat and can be stored in the body.
Termglossary cue
Vitamin A
Fat-soluble vitamin needed for vision, tissue integrity, growth, embryonic development, and immune function.