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A nurse working in a long-term care facility is performing the admission assessment of a newly admitted, 85-year-old resident. During inspection of the residents feet, the nurse notes that she appears to have early evidence of gangrene on one of her great toes. The nurse knows that gangrene in the elderly is often the first sign of what?
- A. Chronic venous insufficiency
- B. Raynauds phenomenon
- C. VTE
- D. PAD
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In elderly people, symptoms of PAD may be more pronounced than in younger people. In elderly patients who are inactive, gangrene may be the first sign of disease. Venous insufficiency does not normally manifest with gangrene. Similarly, VTE and Raynauds phenomenon do not cause the ischemia that underlies gangrene.
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A 79-year-old man is admitted to the medical unit with digital gangrene. The man states that his problems first began when he stubbed his toe going to the bathroom in the dark. In addition to this trauma, the nurse should suspect that the patient has a history of what health problem?
- A. Raynauds phenomenon
- B. CAD
- C. Arterial insufficiency
- D. Varicose veins
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Arterial insufficiency may result in gangrene of the toe (digital gangrene), which usually is caused by trauma. The toe is stubbed and then turns black. Raynauds, CAD and varicose veins are not the usual causes of digital gangrene in the elderly.
The nurse is preparing to administer warfarin (Coumadin) to a client with deep vein thrombophlebitis (DVT). Which laboratory value would most clearly indicate that the patients warfarin is at therapeutic levels?
- A. Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) within normal reference range
- B. Prothrombin time (PT) eight to ten times the control
- C. International normalized ratio (INR) between 2 and 3
- D. Hematocrit of 32%
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The INR is most often used to determine if warfarin is at a therapeutic level; an INR of 2 to 3 is considered therapeutic. Warfarin is also considered to be at therapeutic levels when the clients PT is 1.5 to 2 times the control. Higher values indicate increased risk of bleeding and hemorrhage, whereas lower values indicate increased risk of blood clot formation. Heparin, not warfarin, prolongs PTT. Hematocrit does not provide information on the effectiveness of warfarin; however, a falling hematocrit in a client taking warfarin may be a sign of hemorrhage.
A nurse has written a plan of care for a man diagnosed with peripheral arterial insufficiency. One of the nursing diagnoses in the care plan is altered peripheral tissue perfusion related to compromised circulation. What is the most appropriate intervention for this diagnosis?
- A. Elevate his legs and arms above his heart when resting.
- B. Encourage the patient to engage in a moderate amount of exercise.
- C. Encourage extended periods of sitting or standing.
- D. Discourage walking in order to limit pain.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The nursing diagnosis of altered peripheral tissue perfusion related to compromised circulation requires interventions that focus on improving circulation. Encouraging the patient to engage in a moderate amount of exercise serves to improve circulation. Elevating his legs and arms above his heart when resting would be passive and fails to promote circulation. Encouraging long periods of sitting or standing would further compromise circulation. The nurse should encourage, not discourage, walking to increase circulation and decrease pain.
A nurse on a medical unit is caring for a patient who has been diagnosed with lymphangitis. When reviewing this patients medication administration record, the nurse should anticipate which of the following?
- A. Coumadin (warfarin)
- B. Lasix (furosemide)
- C. An antibiotic
- D. An antiplatelet aggregator
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Lymphangitis is an acute inflammation of the lymphatic channels caused by an infectious process. Antibiotics are always a component of treatment. Diuretics are of nominal use. Anticoagulants and antiplatelet aggregators are not indicated in this form of infection.
A nurse in the rehabilitation unit is caring for an older adult patient who is in cardiac rehabilitation following an MI. The nurses plan of care calls for the patient to walk for 10 minutes 3 times a day. The patient questions the relationship between walking and heart function. How should the nurse best reply?
- A. The arteries in your legs constrict when you walk and allow the blood to move faster and with more pressure on the tissue.
- B. Walking increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore your heart is under less stress.
- C. Walking helps your heart adjust to your new arteries and helps build your self-esteem.
- D. When you walk, the muscles in your legs contract and pump the blood in your veins back toward your heart, which allows more blood to return to your heart.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Veins, unlike arteries, are equipped with valves that allow blood to move against the force of gravity. The legs have one-way bicuspid valves that prevent blood from seeping backward as it moves forward by the muscles in our legs pressing on the veins as we walk and increasing venous return. Leg arteries do constrict when walking, which allows the blood to move faster and with more pressure on the tissue, but the greater concern is increasing the flow of venous blood to the heart. Walking increases, not decreases, the heart pumping ability, which increases heart rate and blood pressure and the hearts ability to manage stress. Walking does help the heart adjust to new arteries and may enhance self-esteem, but the patient had an MIthere are no new arteries.