A 19-year-old student comes to the student health center at the end of the semester complaining that, "My heart is skipping beats." An electrocardiogram (ECG) shows occasional premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)
What action should the nurse take next?
a. Start supplemental O2 at 2 to 3 L/min via nasal cannula.
b. Ask the patient about current stress level and caffeine use.
c. Ask the patient about any history of coronary artery disease.
d. Have the patient taken to the hospital emergency department (ED).
ANS: B
In a patient with a normal heart, occasional PVCs are a benign finding. The timing of the PVCs suggests stress or caffeine as possible etiologic factors. It is unlikely that the patient has coronary artery disease, and this should not be the first question the nurse asks. The patient is hemodynamically stable, so there is no indication that the patient needs to be seen in the ED or that oxygen needs to be administered.
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