The nurse is caring for four patients in a medical–surgical unit. Which patient should the nurse see first?

Question

• A patent admitted with infectious gastroenteritis who has had severe diarrhea for the last 24 hours
• A patent admitted with pneumonia who is has small amounts of yellow productive sputum
• A patent admitted with fever of unknown origin whose temperature is currently 99.0?F
• A patent admitted with an infected wound on the left foot whose WBC is 8,500 mm3

Answer 1

A patient admitted with infectious gastroenteritis who has had severe diarrhea for the last 24 hours

Rationale: The nurse's priority is the patient with infectious gastroenteritis who has had severe diarrhea for the last 24 hours; this patient is at risk for dehydration and could experience a fluid-volume deficit. Small amounts of yellow productive sputum are expected in a patient with pneumonia. A patient admitted with a fever whose temperature is currently 99?F is not in acute distress. The patient with the infected leg wound currently has a white blood cell count within normal limits.