Final answer:
A nurse assessing someone with Hepatic Encephalopathy should look for symptoms like confusion, elevated liver enzymes, and elevated blood ammonia levels, which indicate central nervous system toxicity.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing someone with Hepatic Encephalopathy, a nurse should look for neuropsychiatric symptoms resulting from liver failure. These include confusion, stupor, and possible progression to coma. Laboratory tests typically show elevated levels of certain enzymes and substances due to reduced liver function.
These include alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin, and ammonia levels. Elevated ammonia is particularly significant, as it can lead to central nervous system toxicity, presenting as a flapping tremor, slurred speech, blurred vision, and in severe cases, coma and death.
Additionally, a nurse may observe jaundice, assess for symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and look for a change in the patient's level of consciousness and cognitive function.