A 29-year-old patient with Cushing's disease is admitted to the intensive care unit after sustaining multiple abdominal lacerations from a motor vehicle accident. Which of the following nursing diagnoses takes highest priority?
Explanation
• Cushing's disease causes immunosuppression due to excess cortisol secretion. The patient is at an elevated risk for infection after sustaining multiple wounds
• Risk for injury, ineffective health maintenance, and risk for imbalanced nutrition are appropriate nursing diagnoses, but they do not take priority at this time