The primary nurse is assisting a new graduate nurse to complete a hemodynamic assessment on a patient being monitored via a Swan-Ganz. Which action by the new graduate would require the nurse to intervene?
1. inflating the pressure bag to 300 mm Hg
2. infusing a vasoactive drug through the proximal injectate port
3. using iced normal saline to obtain a cardiac output
4. obtaining a pulmonary artery wedge pressure reading through the distal port
2
Rationale: The proximal injectate port is the primary port used for obtaining cardiac output via boluses of iced or room temperature normal saline. Because of the risk of inadvertent bolus of potent medications, neither vasopressor nor vasodilators should be administered through the same port used for obtaining cardiac output. It would be safer to infuse vasoactive drugs through the proximal infusion port. In order to overcome arterial pressure and prevent blood from backing up into the pressure tubing, the pressure bag placed around the flush solution should be inflated to 300 mm Hg. Either iced or room temperature normal saline can effectively be used to obtain accurate cardiac output measurements. The distal port is the designated port for continuous monitoring of the pulmonary artery pressure and for obtaining the pulmonary artery wedge pressure.
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a. acute abdominal pain. b. recurring insomnia. c. extensive history of falls. d. chlordiazepoxide (Librium) prescription.
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Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
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a. "What a terrible thing to say!" b. "Many husbands feel that way at first." c. "His feelings will change over time." d. "How did you respond to his statement?"