Question

The nurse is caring for a newborn with hypospadias. Which statement describes hypospadias? A. The urinary meatus is located on the underside of the penis rather than the tip. B. The ureters allow a reflux of urine into the kidneys. C. The urinary meatus is located on the topside of the penis rather than the tip. D. The bladder lies outside the abdominal cavity.

Short answer

Answer: The urinary meatus is located on the underside of the penis rather than the tip.

Step-by-step solution

Understand hypospadias

Hypospadias is a birth defect in which the opening of the urethra (urinary meatus) is not located at its usual position on the tip of the penis. The students need to recognize which of the provided statements accurately describes this condition.

Evaluate option A

Option A states that "The urinary meatus is located on the underside of the penis rather than the tip." This statement is accurate as hypospadias is characterized by the abnormal location of the urethral opening on the penile shaft.

Evaluate option B

Option B states that "The ureters allow a reflux of urine into the kidneys." This statement refers to vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) rather than hypospadias. VUR is a different urological condition, and it is not the correct definition of hypospadias.

Evaluate option C

Option C states that "The urinary meatus is located on the topside of the penis rather than the tip." This statement refers to epispadias, not hypospadias. Epispadias is another birth defect, in which the opening of the urethra is unusually located on the upper side of the penis.

Evaluate option D

Option D states that "The bladder lies outside the abdominal cavity." This statement describes bladder exstrophy, a rare congenital abnormality where the bladder is exposed and lies outside the body. This is not the correct definition of hypospadias.

Identify the correct statement

Based on the evaluation of each option, the correct statement is option A: "The urinary meatus is located on the underside of the penis rather than the tip." This accurately describes the condition of hypospadias.