A nurse performs an admission assessment on a 75-year-old client with multiple chronic diseases. The client's blood pressure is 135/75 mm Hg and oxygen saturation is 94% on 2 liters per nasal cannula
The nurse assesses the client's rhythm on the cardiac monitor and observes the reading shown below:
Which action should the nurse take first?
a.
Begin external temporary pacing.
b.
Assess peripheral pulse strength.
c.
Ask the client what medications he or she takes.
d.
Administer 1 mg of atropine.
ANS: C
This client is stable and therefore does not require any intervention except to determine the cause of the bradycardia. Bradycardia is often caused by medications. Clients who have multiple chronic diseases are often on multiple medications that can interact with each other. The nurse should assess the client's current medications first.
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