While caring for a patient with a right radial arterial line, the nurse assesses that the right fingers are cool, pale, and dusky. Which intervention would be important to do first?
1. Notify the physician STAT.
2. Flush the arterial catheter and zero the line.
3. Try to obtain a pulse using Doppler ultrasound.
4. Obtain a blood pressure in the left arm.
Notify the health care provider STAT.
Rationale: The health care provider needs to be notified STAT and the line needs to be discontinued. Symptoms including cool, pale, and dusky skin indicate arterial occlusion, and this is a medical emergency. Loss of arterial circulation will cause loss of the limb distal to the occlusion unless circulation can be restored. The remaining actions do not take priority over notifying the health care provider.
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