A client is admitted with a 3-day history of vomiting and diarrhea. The client's vital signs are blood pressure, 85/60 mm Hg; and heart rate, 105 beats/min. Which intervention by the nurse takes priority?
a. Obtain blood and urine cultures.
b. Start an IV of normal saline as ordered.
c. Administer antiemetic medications.
d. Assess the client's recent travel history.
B
Many types of problems can reduce kidney function. Severe hypotension from shock or dehydra-tion reduces renal blood flow and leads to prerenal acute renal failure (ARF). Volume depletion leading to prerenal azotemia is the most common cause of ARF and usually is reversible with prompt intervention. The nurse should first initiate the ordered IV fluids. Obtaining cultures will help identify a possible cause of the client's symptoms and should be done quickly after the IV has been started. Attending to the client's discomfort would be next. Assessing for travel history, although important, can wait until after the other interventions have been accomplished.
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