The nurse is caring for a patient with myasthenia gravis who is on a ventilator. The high-pressure alarm sounds. What should the nurse consider as the cause for this alarm?
a. The patient is fatigued.
b. The tubing is disconnected.
c. The electricity is interrupted.
d. The patient needs to be suctioned.
ANS: D
High-pressure alarms sound for higher-than-normal resistance to air flow. This might occur if the patient needs to be suctioned; if the patient is biting on the tube, coughing, or trying to talk; if tubing is kinked or otherwise obstructed; or if worsening respiratory disease causes decreased lung compliance. B. Disconnected tubing causes a low-pressure alarm. C. Loss of power causes its own alarm. A. Fatigue should not cause an alarm.
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Which of these would best prepare a nursing student for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®)?
1. Purchase a review text with a companion compact disc that has links to study sites on the Internet. 2. Purchase a review text with companion compact disc containing NCLEX-RN® types of questions. 3. Purchase a review text that has practice questions and drills on a compact disc, including test answers. 4. Form a study group to review subject content and surf the Internet for review sites and links.
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