Nokea
A client states that their legs have pain with walking that decreases with rest. The nurse observes absence of hair on the client's lower extremities and the client has a thread, weakened posterior tibial pulse. What would be the best position to have the client's legs?
- A. Elevated above the heart
- B. Slightly bent with three pillows under the knees
- C. Crossed at the knee
- D. Hanging down
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: PAD's claudication pain with walking, eased by rest plus hairless legs and weak pulses cry ischemia. Hanging legs down boosts gravity-fed flow, easing pain, the best position here. Elevation cuts supply, worsening it. Bending or crossing risks pressure. Nurses dangle limbs, enhancing perfusion, a practical fix in this arterial crunch.
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Appropriate statements concerning intrathecal drug delivery systems include:
- A. In a patient with progressive cancer-related pain, a low-grade pelvic infection is an absolute contraindication for implanting either an intrathecal catheter or a pump, even under antibiotic cover.
- B. Intrathecally administered opioids circulate to the central neuraxis, including the brainstem, where they are likely to cause drowsiness and respiratory depression.
- C. In difficult cases, ziconotide can be administered with either an opioid or clonidine, or both.
- D. As a mixture of opioid and clonidine is expected to distribute throughout the cerebrospinal fluid, the level of the catheter in the intrathecal space is unlikely to be important.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDS) manage severe pain with nuances. A low-grade pelvic infection isn't an absolute contraindication; implantation may proceed with antibiotics if benefits outweigh risks (e.g., cancer palliation). Intrathecal opioids do reach the brainstem via cerebrospinal fluid, causing drowsiness and respiratory depression, though less than systemic routes due to lower doses still a key risk requiring monitoring. Ziconotide combines with opioids or clonidine for synergy in refractory pain, per clinical practice. Catheter tip position matters; drug distribution isn't uniform higher placement enhances rostral spread, affecting efficacy and side effects. MRI compatibility exists with most modern pumps. The brainstem effect of opioids underscores IDDS's potency and danger, necessitating careful titration and patient selection.
A 35-year old teacher on allopurinol 200 mg OM for the past year reports three recent gout attacks. BMI 27 kg/m2, BP 144/94 mm Hg. You notice tophi over both hands and elbows. You will now:
- A. Stop the allopurinol during this acute gout attack
- B. Start hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg OM for BP control
- C. Continue allopurinol despite the attack and aim to reduce uric acid <300 umol/L
- D. Advise to rest and avoid exercise for 3 months as he is having acute pain
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Tophi, flares allopurinol stays, push uric <300; thiazides worsen, rest flops, losartan's late. Nurses hold this chronic crystal line.
Which statement is true regarding CT and LP in AIDS patients?
- A. they should all have a CT prior to LP
- B. if they have no focal neurology they do not need a CT
- C. if they have a GSC of 15 they do not need a CT
- D. all of the above are true
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: AIDS LP CT skips if no focal signs, full GCS, no fever push; all hold. Blanket CT's overkill nurses weigh risks, a chronic brain check dance dodging pressure flops.
The home health nurse is performing a home visit for an oncology patient discharged 3 days ago after completing treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The nurse's assessment should include examination for the signs and symptoms of what complication?
- A. Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS)
- B. Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH)
- C. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
- D. Hypercalcemia
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma's fast cell turnover, plus recent chemo, primes for TLS dead cells dump potassium, phosphorus, and uric acid, risking kidney failure days post-treatment. SIADH (low sodium) and hypercalcemia (bone mets) are less tied to this timeline. DIC's bleeding chaos isn't lymphoma's usual post-chemo hit. Nurses hunt TLS signs fatigue, nausea, arrhythmias knowing it's a fatal oncology curveball if missed early.
Cortical stimulation:
- A. Occurs before resection of a tumour.
- B. Localizes areas involved with hearing.
- C. Occurs by indirect application of electrodes.
- D. Allows identification of Wernicke's area, which is involved in the comprehension of language.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Cortical stimulation in awake craniotomy maps eloquent brain areas before tumor resection to avoid functional loss. It's performed pre-resection to define safe boundaries, localizing motor, sensory, and language areas, including hearing-related regions in the temporal lobe. Electrodes are applied directly to the cortex, not indirectly, for precision. Wernicke's area, in the dominant temporal lobe, is critical for language comprehension, and stimulation identifies it by eliciting speech errors (e.g., paraphasia). Seizures can occur, managed with cold saline irrigation, not warm. The ability to pinpoint Wernicke's area is pivotal, as its preservation ensures postoperative language function, balancing oncologic goals with quality of life in eloquent cortex surgeries.