As the nurse working in the clinic, should you run a pregnancy test?
K.W. is an 18-year-old woman who comes to Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy test because a condom broke during intercourse the night before. Her last menstrual period (LMP) was 13 days ago and was normal. She always has a monthly menstrual cycle. She is extremely nervous about pregnancy because she is beginning college on a scholarship soon. She states there have been no other acts of unprotected intercourse since her LMP and declines a gynecologic examination.
Ans: A pregnancy test will not be positive for a conception that occurred only the previous evening. A pregnancy
test detects human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG); a serum HCG test can detect a pregnancy as soon as
8 days postconception. A urine pregnancy test can detect as little as 25 mIU of HCG, which can be detected as
soon as 10 to 14 days postconception. A pregnancy test could be performed to rule out previous pregnancy.
This is optional if the patient is a reliable historian and has had a normal period in the past 30 days.
You might also like to view...
A patient is admitted to the intensive care unit with an electrolyte imbalance. Which of the following imbalances will contraindicate the administration of digoxin (Lanoxin)?
A) Hyperkalemia B) Hypokalemia C) Hypermagnesemia D) Hypocalcemia
Which of the following situations can best be characterized as an example of passive immunity?
A) A 6-month-old infant receives his scheduled immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella. B) A 9-year-old boy is immune to chicken pox after enduring the infection before 1 year. C) An 8-year-old girl recovers from a respiratory infection after intravenous antibiotic treatment. D) A 6-week-old infant receives antibodies from his mother's breast milk.
A client tells the nurse at a prenatal interview that she has quit smoking, only has a glass of wine with dinner, and has cut down on coffee to four cups a day. What response by the nurse will be most helpful in promoting a lifestyle change?
a. "You have made some good progress toward having a healthy baby. Let's talk about the changes you have made." b. "You need to do a lot better than that. You are still hurting your baby." c. "Here are some pamphlets for you to study. They will help you to find more ways to improve." d. "Those few things won't cause any trouble. Good for you."
Narcotic analgesia is administered to a laboring client at 10:00 A.M. The infant is delivered at 12:30 P.M. The nurse would anticipate that the narcotic analgesia could:
1. Be used in place of preoperative sedation. 2. Result in neonatal respiratory depression. 3. Prevent the need for anesthesia with an episiotomy. 4. Enhance uterine contractions.