Terrorists have detonated a "dirty bomb" in a shopping center. Nurses are called to the site to assist with triage of victims
Besides treating injuries incurred from the blast itself, the priorities for treatment for most of the victims will include:
a. administering potassium iodide as soon as possible.
b. giving Prussian blue and monitoring elec-trolytes.
c. monitoring urine and stool samples for radioactivity.
d. removing clothing and bathing victims.
D
The primary danger from a dirty bomb is the blast itself, and not the radiation, since dispersal of the radiation is limited to a relatively small area. Persons exposed should remove clothing as soon as possible and then decontaminate the skin by showering or bathing. Since dirty bombs do not release iodine-131, taking potassium iodide is of no benefit. Prussian blue is used to hasten excretion of radioactive cesium and radioactive and non-radioactive thallium. Patients treated with Prussian blue should have close monitoring of stools and urine.
You might also like to view...
The nurse is performing a well-child checkup on a 5-year-old boy. He has no current condition that would lead the nurse to suspect an illness. His health history is unremarkable, and he received immunizations 1 week ago
Which of these findings should be considered normal in this patient? a. Enlarged, warm, and tender nodes b. Lymphadenopathy of the cervical nodes c. Palpable firm, small, shotty, mobile, and nontender lymph nodes d. Firm, rubbery, and large nodes, somewhat fixed to the underlying tissue
The nurse is caring for an 82-year-old patient. The nurse knows that changes in cardiac structure and function occur in older adults. What is a normal change expected in the aging heart of an older adult?
A) Decreased left ventricular ejection time B) Decreased connective tissue in the SA and AV nodes and bundle branches C) Thinning and flaccidity of the cardiac values D) Widening of the aorta
A 45-year-old mother of three children is at the doctor's office and her blood pressure 152/92 . This is the first time that she has ever shown an elevated reading. She is concerned that she has hypertension. The nurse's best response would be:
a. "A single reading may not mean anything. We will take it again at your next visit." b. "It looks like you have high blood pressure now. We'll check it again in 3 months." c. "Fortunately, hypertension isn't related to other diseases and is easily treated." d. "You may have hypertension, but there is little else that can be done except medi-cines."
Which of the following would be considered a role of the forensic nurse?
A) Investigating criminal activity of the community B) Providing financial assistance to the victim C) Serving as an expert witness D) Perpetrator sentencing