An 82-year-old patient returns to the floor after being gone for 1 hour for an x-ray examination. On return, the nurse notes that 700 mL of fluid have infused during the last hour and the patient is short of breath
What is the nurse's best action? a. Check the intravenous (IV) site and document the findings.
b. Slow the IV rate and notify the prescriber immediately.
c. Discontinue the IV therapy and notify the prescriber immediately.
d. Notify the prescriber and ask whether the IV therapy should be discontinued.
B
A volume of 700 mL in an hour is a large amount, even for a much younger patient. The fact that this 82-year-old is now short of breath is an indicator of fluid overload. The nurse slows the IV rate but does not discontinue it. It may be needed to administer IV drugs to treat the fluid over-load. The prescriber must be notified immediately of the patient's change in status and this IV volume error.
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