In a patient with transient diabetes insipidus, which findings might the nurse expect?

In transient diabetes insipidus, the body fails to retain water due to an inadequate response to antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or insufficient production of ADH by the posterior pituitary. As a result, patients typically exhibit low urine specific gravity, which reflects dilute urine.

When ADH is not acting effectively, the kidneys cannot concentrate the urine, leading to increased water loss. Consequently, the urine produced is more dilute, characterized by a low specific gravity (below 1.005). This allows the nurse to expect this finding in a patient with transient diabetes insipidus.

In contrast, high serum osmolality (which indicates a higher concentration of solutes in the blood) may be a consequence of the body's loss of water, but it does not directly describe the urine's characteristics. Dark amber urine with sediment would suggest other conditions, possibly related to hematuria or concentrated urine due to dehydration, which is not typical in transient diabetes insipidus. Retention of bulky body fluids would counter the mechanism observed in diabetes insipidus since the hallmark is increased urination and fluid loss rather than retention.