Ace the ANCC Exam 2025 – Ignite Your Nursing Superpowers!

The most accurate predictor of mortality for an 84-year-old patient undergoing surgery is impaired functional status. This is because functional status reflects a patient's ability to perform daily activities and indicates their overall health and resilience. Patients with diminished functional capacity often have a higher risk of postoperative complications and mortality, as it may suggest underlying health issues that could complicate surgery or recovery.

Assessing functional status provides valuable insight into the patient's physiological reserve and ability to cope with the stress of surgery. For instance, patients who may be unable to manage daily tasks might have comorbidities or frailty, which are significant risk factors when considering surgical interventions.

While factors such as age and cognitive function do play a role in surgical outcomes, they do not provide as comprehensive a picture of a patient's overall health as functional status does. Age alone does not necessarily correlate with higher mortality risk if the individual is otherwise healthy and functional. Similarly, cognitive assessments, like the Mini-Mental State Examination, primarily evaluate mental function rather than physiological capability, and the presence of social support, while important for recovery, is not a direct predictor of surgical risk or mortality.