A nurse is assisting a physician who is performing a circumcision on a newborn. The physician asks the nurse to prepare lidocaine and epinephrine for injection to provide anesthesia. What will the nurse do?

Question

a. Ask the provider why an injectable anes-thetic is being used for this procedure.
b. Draw up the medication as ordered and prepare the infant for the procedure.
c. Make sure that seizure precautions are in place.
d. Question the use of the epinephrine for this procedure.

Answer 1

D
The physician is preparing to use infiltration anesthesia by injecting the local anesthetic directly into the immediate area of surgery. Epinephrine can be used in some cases but should never be used in areas supplied by end arteries, such as the penis, toes, fingers, nose, or ears, because re-striction of blood flow in these areas can result in gangrene. Injectable agents are appropriate for this procedure. The nurse should not draw up the medication as requested, because the combina-tion of agents can harm the patient. Seizure precautions are not necessary.