While assessing a patient who has an arterial catheter in place, the patient complains of numbness and tingling in the fingers. Which of the following would be the most important for the nurse to determine?
1. a pulse is palpable
2. blood is easily obtained from the catheter
3. the system is calibrated
4. the waveform has a characteristic appearance
1
Rationale: Monitoring circulation distal to the arterial insertion site is an important nursing function. Skin color and temperature, and all pulses should be regularly assessed and documented. Although important to the functioning of the catheter, this is not the most important area to assess. System calibration is important to the accuracy of the measurements obtained. However, a patient complaining of numbness and tingling should have a more detailed physical assessment completed to determine development of circulation problems. An appropriate and normal waveform is an assurance that the system is functioning and measurements would be accurate. However, this is not the most important for the patient's safety and prevention of complications.
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