A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is prescribed methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol). For what reason should the nurse realize that corticosteroids are used in the treatment of this health problem?
a. Dry secretions
b. Treat infection
c. Improve the oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin
d. Reduce airway inflammation
ANS: C
Corticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatory agents. A. B. They do not dry secretions, and they may cause infection to worsen. C. They do not directly affect oxygenation.
You might also like to view...
A correctional nurse testified about care received by a specific client in the 8 hours before his
successful suicide. The nurse responds to questions about what he saw and heard and the interventions he performed and documented during the work shift. The nurse was acting as a(n) a. forensic nurse examiner. b. physiological forensic nurse. c. expert witness. d. fact witness.
In order to achieve balance, body mass must be distributed around which point?
1) Center of body alignment 2) Center of balance 3) Center of gravity 4) Base of support
The nurse is preparing to assess a patient with cystic fibrosis. What should the nurse keep in mind about this patient's health problem?
Select all that apply. 1. The patient will have difficulty speaking. 2. The patient will have cardiac dysrhythmias. 3. The patient is prone to respiratory infections. 4. The patient will have altered nutritional status. 5. The patient will have thick respiratory secretions.
A client who is acutely ill is having difficulty maintaining a steady blood pressure. The nurse recognizes that when the client's blood pressure drops, the hormonal mechanism that immediately takes action is:
1. aldosterone, released by the adrenal cortex to conserve water. 2. cortisol, released by the adrenal cortex to raise blood sugar. 3. insulin, released by the pancreas to increase energy production. 4. epinephrine, released by the adrenal medulla to trigger vasoconstriction.