After teaching a client who is recovering from a heart transplant to change positions slowly, the client asks, "Why is this important?" How should the nurse respond?
a. "Rapid position changes can create shear and friction forces, which can tear out your internal vascular sutures."
b. "Your new vascular connections are more sensitive to position changes, leading to increased intravascular pressure and dizziness."
c. "Your new heart is not connected to the nervous system and is unable to respond to decreases in blood pressure caused by position changes."
d. "While your heart is recovering, blood flow is diverted away from the brain, increasing the risk for stroke when you stand up."
ANS: C
Because the new heart is denervated, the baroreceptor and other mechanisms that compensate for blood pressure drops caused by position changes do not function. This allows orthostatic hypotension to persist in the postoperative period. The other options are false statements and do not correctly address the client's question.
You might also like to view...
A 35-year-old male is admitted to the hospital complaining of severe headaches, vomiting, and testicular pain
His blood work shows reduced numbers of platelets, leukocytes, and erythrocytes, with a high proportion of immature cells. The nurse caring for this patient suspects a diagnosis of what? A) AML B) CML C) MDS D) ALL
A patient in the intensive care unit has been receiving treatment for several weeks following complications from cardiac surgery. The nurse knows that this long course of treatment creates an increased risk of ICU-acquired weakness
What prevention measure should be instituted to mitigate this risk? A) Involve the patient in decisions surrounding his care and rehabilitation. B) Teach the patient about the consequences of prolonged immobility. C) Maintain the patient's blood glucose levels within normal range. D) Wean the patient from his ventilator as soon as possible.
A patient with several chronic illnesses is being cared for in a hospital acute care setting. For which events should you expect to apply the principles of the process of medication reconciliation? (select all that apply)
a. The patient is transferred from the ICU to a medical care unit. b. The patient is transported to radiology for a CT scan. c. The patient's care is transferred from the evening to the night nurse. d. The patient is moved from an acute care to a long-term care facility. e. The patient is relocated to a private room on the same medical care unit. f. The patient is sent to a different hospital for specialized surgery.
The responsibility of the nurse caring for a victim of child abuse in the emergency room would include which of the following?
A) Prohibiting parents from visiting until more facts are obtained B) Prohibiting the babysitter from staying to offer support C) Suggesting to the attending physician that the child be admitted for observation D) Asking the child what was happening that led to the abuse