Which symptom should be expected in a client with diabetes insipidus?

In diabetes insipidus, one of the hallmark symptoms is excessive thirst, known as polydipsia. This condition occurs due to the body’s inability to concentrate urine and retain water effectively, leading to the production of large volumes of dilute urine. As a result, individuals often become dehydrated, prompting a compensatory increase in thirst to replenish lost fluids.

The other options reflect conditions that are not characteristic of diabetes insipidus. For example, dark amber urine usually indicates dehydration or concentrated urine, which is not the case in diabetes insipidus, where urine is typically clear and dilute. Likewise, a high urine specific gravity suggests concentrated urine, whereas diabetes insipidus typically presents with a low urine specific gravity due to the inability to concentrate urine. Lastly, low serum osmolality would not be expected; instead, diabetes insipidus generally results in a high serum osmolality due to dehydration and a loss of water from the body. Therefore, excessive thirst is a key symptom and a direct response to the body’s fluid imbalance in diabetes insipidus.