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Celiac Disease — NCLEX Cheat Sheet

Gluten → villi destruction

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👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team 🕐 Updated 2026-07-11 🏷️ Physiological Adaptation 🔖 Free to read, print, and share

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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Celiac Disease on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!

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Mechanism

Key facts

Autoimmune rxn to gluten
Damages small bowel villi

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Signs

What to look for

Steatorrhea: pale, foul, fatty
Bloating, weight loss, anemia
Dermatitis herpetiformis rash

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Avoid

Key facts

NO wheat, barley, rye (BROW)
Check labels, hidden gluten

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Do

Nursing actions

OK: rice, corn, quinoa, oats
Lifelong gluten-free diet

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Quick Tip

Gluten exposure flattens intestinal villi, causing malabsorption with steatorrhea (bulky, foul, fatty, floating stools), weight loss, bloating, and fatigue.

📖 Related Topics

Hypokalemia Hyperkalemia Hyponatremia Heart Failure

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