The cardiac telemetry unit charge nurse receives status reports from other nursing units about four patients who need cardiac monitoring. Which patient should be transferred to the cardiac unit first?
a. Patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and a heart rate of 102
b. Patient with tetany who has a new order for IV calcium chloride
c. Patient with Cushing syndrome and a blood glucose of 140 mg/dL
d. Patient with Addison's disease who takes hydrocortisone twice daily
ANS: B
Emergency treatment of tetany requires IV administration of calcium; ECG monitoring will be required because cardiac arrest may occur if high calcium levels result from too-rapid administration. The information about the other patients indicates that they are more stable than the patient with tetany.
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