What nursing intervention is appropriate when caring for an unconscious child?
a. Avoid using narcotics or sedatives to provide comfort and pain relief.
b. Change the child's position infrequently to minimize the chance of increased intracranial pressure (ICP).
c. Monitor fluid intake and output carefully to avoid fluid overload and cerebral edema.
d. Give tepid sponge baths to reduce fevers above 38.3° C (101° F) because antipyretics are contraindicated.
ANS: C
Often comatose patients cannot cope with the quantity of fluids that they normally tolerate. Overhydration must be avoided to prevent fatal cerebral edema. Narcotics and sedatives should be used as necessary to reduce pain and anxiety, which can increase ICP. The child's position should be changed frequently to avoid complications such as pneumonia and skin breakdown. Antipyretics are the method of choice for fever reduction.
You might also like to view...
Which of the following resources is the most important source of cultural information to understand the culture of a patient and family?
1. CIA World Factbook 2. Multicultural Resources for Health Information 3. Office of Minority Health: Cultural Appropriate Services 4. None of the above
The nurse is teaching a client with bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) about corticosteroid therapy. What statement is accurate for the nurse to teach the client?
a. "You will be on this drug the rest of your life." b. "You will be prone to many long-term side effects of this drug." c. "A short course of therapy will help with acute episodes." d. "This medication cannot be taken with antibiotic therapy."
The nurse assess a laboring patient's contraction pattern and notes the frequency at every 3 to 4 minutes, duration 50 to 60 sections, and the intensity is moderate by palpation. What is the most accurate documentation for this contraction pattern?
a. Stage 1, latent phase b. Stage 2, latent phase c. Stage 1, active phase d. Stage 2, active phase
A patient who is learning diabetic self-care states, "I have to develop the ability to see the ‘big picture' instead of getting hung up with the little things in my care plan." The nurse who understands brain function would see this as related to
a. adult attention deficit disorder. b. fight-or-flight reaction. c. left brain dominance. d. a larger than usual corpus callosum.