The nurse is caring for a patient with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) who is receiving epoprostenol (Flolan). Which assessment information requires the most immediate action by the nurse?
a. The oxygen saturation is 94%.
b. The blood pressure is 98/56 mm Hg.
c. The patient's central IV line is disconnected.
d. The international normalized ratio (INR) is prolonged.
ANS: C
The half-life of this drug is 6 minutes, so the nurse will need to restart the infusion as soon as possible to prevent rapid clinical deterioration. The other data also indicate a need for ongoing monitoring or intervention, but the priority action is to reconnect the infusion.
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The nurse is caring for an otherwise healthy victim of a motor vehicle crash who is experiencing considerable pain. What factor indicates that the patient may be experiencing acute pain?
A) It is associated with an acute and severe injury. B) It is expected to resolve as the injury heals. C) It requires treatment with intravenous opioids. D) No chronic illnesses have been diagnosed.
A 55-year-old female patient is admitted with the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. The nurse realizes that which of the following should be included in the care of this patient?
1. encouragement to reduce daily alcohol intake 2. the need to reduce high density lipoprotein level 3. assessment for hypocalcemia 4. assessment of gall bladder functioning
In evaluating weekend mortality rates, the head nurse on the cardiac unit is surprised to find that they are higher than on weekdays. In exploring the reasons for this apparent anomaly, the head nurse focuses on:
a. Availability of diagnostic personnel. b. Availability of physicians. c. Communication with on-call providers. d. Acuity level of patients.
Sucrose, maltose, and lactose are examples of
a. disaccharides. b. polysaccharides. c. monosaccharides. d. complex carbohydrates.