A patient who received an inhalation anesthetic is received into the recovery room. A nurse obtains vital signs during the immediate postoperative assessment. The patient's muscles are tense, and her body temperature is 104° F
The nurse's best action is to a. administer acetaminophen (Tylenol) as ordered and recheck the temperature in 1 hour.
b. apply a cooling blanket per the agency's protocol.
c. collaborate with the prescriber regarding the risk of malignant hyperthermia.
d. administer diazepam (Valium) for the muscle rigidity.
C
Malignant hyperthermia is characterized by muscle rigidity and a profound elevation in temper-ature. The prescriber should be notified, because malignant hyperthermia is rare but potentially fatal.
Administration of Tylenol may not be sufficient and disregards the muscle rigidity that also is present.
A cooling blanket may not be sufficient and disregards the muscle rigidity that also is present.
Administration of diazepam does not address the hyperthermia that is present.
You might also like to view...
When conducting a client health history, the nurse asks that all calls go to voice mail during the interview process. Which professional characteristic is the nurse exhibiting to establish a nurse-client relationship with this action?
1. Positive regard. 2. Empathy. 3. Genuineness. 4. Concreteness.
The nurse understands that the generic name for a drug is:
1. always capitalized when written. 2. the same in any country. 3. assigned by a specific manufacturer. 4. similar to the chemical name.
A nurse is assessing a patient who is receiving a blood transfusion and finds that the patient is anxiously fidgeting in bed. The patient is afebrile and dyspneic. The nurse auscultates crackles in both lung bases and sees jugular vein distention
The nurse recognizes that the patient is experiencing which transfusion complication? a. Anaphylactic shock b. Septicemia c. Fluid volume overload d. Hemolytic reaction
What are the tests most often used to detect and monitor a suspected or confirmed myocardial infarction?
What will be an ideal response?