A patient who received epidural anesthesia for surgery develops hypotension during the procedure. The nurse anticipates which intervention to support this patient?
1. Increasing pain medication
2. Intubating the patient
3. Increasing the amount of anesthesia being administered
4. Providing normal saline intravenously with medications to stimulate venous return
4
Rationale 1: There is no indication that the patient requires additional pain medication.
Rationale 2: Hypotension does not necessarily herald respiratory distress. The patient should be monitored, but there is no indication for intubation at this time.
Rationale 3: The hypotension is likely related to the anesthesia. There is no indication that additional anesthesia is required.
Rationale 4: Hypotension can occur during the surgical procedure in patients who receive epidural anesthesia. Hypotension is avoided with the administration of normal saline intravenously and with medications that have a strong alpha-adrenergic effect to stimulate venous return.
You might also like to view...
A nurse has helped organize and staff a free vaccination clinic for underserved populations in a central location of the city. The nurse is unhappy that so few people came to the clinic. In evaluating this outcome, what factors does the nurse recognize as
A. Clinic hours B. Inability to miss work C. Lack of insurance D. Lack of transportation E. Language barriers
The nurse is assessing a 2-day-old newborn and suspects Down syndrome based on which of the following? Select all answers that apply
A) Flat facial profile B) Downward slant to the eyes C) Large tongue compared to mouth D) Simian crease E) Epicanthal folds F) Rigid joints
The nurse is caring for a 9-year-old boy with achondroplasia. Which set of characteristics is typical of this disorder?
A) Narrow passages from the nose to the throat B) Slim stature, hypotonia, and a narrow face C) Craniosynostosis and a small nasopharynx D) Trident hand and persistent otitis media
Stress, stress-related conditions, and mental illnesses are prevalent among populations when severe economic difficulties exist. Your client is suffering from stress related to the depressed lumber industry in his county. This may be called
1. Manic-depression 2. Psychosis 3. Anticipatory grieving 4. Farm stress