A nurse is caring for a patient with severe hemolytic jaundice. Laboratory tests show free bilirubin to be 24 mg/dL. What is this patient at risk for?
A) Chronic jaundice
B) Pigment stones in portal circulation
C) Brainstem damage
D) Hepatomegaly
Ans: C
Feedback: Prolonged jaundice, even if mild, predisposes to the formation of pigment stones in the gallbladder, and extremely severe jaundice (levels of free bilirubin exceeding 20 to 25 mg/dL) poses a risk for brainstem damage.
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You are a student practical nurse assigned to a medical-surgical unit. The night before going to the clinical area, you are very tired and fail to look up your patient's diagnosis as assigned. Which of the following is appropriate?
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Which of the following is considered a very unstable rhythm that is usually a precursor to ventricular fibrillation or sudden cardiac death??
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