Today’s NCLEX-PN® question of the day focuses on bed wetting (aka enuresis). Do you know the answer? Let’s find out!
The parents of a healthy 8-year-old patient bring the child to see their pediatrician because the child has been wetting the bed for a few weeks.
Which potential cause of this condition should the nurse ask about?
A. Recent involvement in sports
B. Recent changes in appetite
C. Recent life stressors
D. Recent close contact with other children
Scroll down for the correct answer!
The correct answer to today’s NCLEX-PN® Question is…
C. Recent life stressors
Rationale: Life stressors and life changes, such as birth of a sibling, family conflict, or separation from a family guardian can all trigger secondary enuresis. Also, other factors that lead to physiologic stress, like anxiety, low socioeconomic status, and sexual abuse, could also trigger secondary enuresis. The nurse knows that this client has secondary enuresis because the child is 8 years old. The nurse should investigate sources of stress or recent changes in the client’s life.
Main Takeaway
The exact cause of primary enuresis remains unknown, but some theories suggest that this condition could be associated with anxiety and neurodevelopmental problems, slow maturation, or hyperactivity of the bladder. On the other hand, common causes of secondary enuresis include physiological stress, like sexual abuse; central diabetes insipidus; and medications, such as valproate, which is used to treat epilepsy in children. Other causes of secondary enuresis include urinary tract infections and constipation.
Incorrect Answer Explanations
A. Recent involvement in sports
Rationale: Involvement in sports is not associated with causative factors of enuresis.
B. Recent changes in appetite
Rationale: Changes in appetite are not directly associated with secondary enuresis. Rather, the nurse should ask a more direct question (i.e. addressing bowel habits), which may be directly linked to enuresis. Constipation, for example, may put pressure on the bladder and lead to enuresis.
D. Recent close contact with other children
Rationale: Enuresis is not contagious; therefore, it is unlikely that close contact with other children would cause this client to develop enuresis.
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