The nurse is caring for a patient diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm who complains of sudden, intense abdominal pain and light-headedness. What action should the nurse take next?
a. Monitor the patient's blood pressure every 15 minutes.
b. Contact the physician immediately.
c. Notify the patient's family of the change in condition.
d. Continue to assess the patient's pain.
B
The patient is most likely experiencing a ruptured aneurysm, which is a medical emergency re-quiring surgical repair. The nurse should contact the physician immediately. The vital signs may need to be measured more often than every 15 minutes. Notifying the family is not the priority intervention. Ongoing assessment of pain should continue, but after the physician is notified of the emergent status change.
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