Nokea
The nurse has applied the prescribed dressing to the leg of a client with an ischemic arterial leg ulcer. Which method should the nurse use to cover the dressing?
- A. Apply a Kerlix roll and tape it to the skin.
- B. Apply a large, soft pad and tape it to the skin.
- C. Apply small Montgomery straps and tie the edges together.
- D. Apply a Kling roll and tape the edge of the roll onto the bandage.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Standard dressing technique includes the use of Kling rolls on circumferential dressings. With an arterial leg ulcer, the nurse applies tape only to the bandage. Tape is never used directly on the skin because it could cause further tissue damage. For the same reason, Montgomery straps should not be applied to the skin (although these are generally intended for use on abdominal wounds, anyway).
You may also like to solve these questions
The primary health care provider prescribes a dose of intravenous (IV) potassium chloride for a client. When administering the IV potassium chloride, which action should the nurse take?
- A. Inject it as a bolus.
- B. Use a filter in the IV line.
- C. Dilute it per medication instructions.
- D. Apply cool compresses to the IV site.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Potassium chloride is very irritating to the vein and must be diluted to prevent phlebitis and is administered using an IV pump. Potassium chloride is never administered as a bolus injection because it can cause cardiac arrest. A filter is not necessary for potassium solutions. Cool compresses would constrict the blood vessel, which could possibly be more irritating to the vein.
The nurse caring for a client after right radical mastectomy includes which intervention in the nursing plan of care for this client?
- A. Takes blood pressures in the right arm only
- B. Draws serum laboratory samples from the right arm only
- C. Positions the client supine and flat with the right arm elevated on a pillow
- D. Checks the right posterior axilla area when assessing the surgical dressing
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: If there is drainage or bleeding from the surgical site after mastectomy, gravity will cause the drainage to seep down and soak the posterior axillary portion of the dressing first. The nurse checks this area to detect early bleeding. Blood pressure measurement, venipuncture, and intravenous sites should not involve use of the operative arm. The client should be positioned with the head in semi-Fowler's position and the arm on the operative side elevated on pillows to decrease edema.
The nurse suspects that an air embolism has occurred when the client's central venous catheter disconnects from the intravenous (IV) tubing. The nurse immediately places the client on her or his left side in which position?
- A. High Fowler's
- B. Trendelenburg's
- C. Lateral recumbent
- D. Reverse Trendelenburg's
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: If the client develops an air embolism, the immediate action is to place the client in Trendelenburg's position on the left side. This position raises the client's feet higher than the head and traps any air in the right atrium. If necessary, the air can then be directly removed by intracardiac aspiration.
The nurse is assisting a client with a chest tube to get out of bed, when the chest tubing accidentally gets caught in the bed rail and disconnects. While trying to reestablish the connection, the Pleur-Evac drainage system falls over and cracks. The nurse should take which action to minimize the client's risk for injury?
- A. Clamp the chest tube.
- B. Call the primary health care provider.
- C. Apply a petroleum gauze over the end of the chest tube.
- D. Immerse the chest tube in a bottle of sterile water or normal saline.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: If a chest tube accidentally disconnects from the tubing of the drainage apparatus, the nurse should first reestablish an underwater seal to prevent tension pneumothorax and mediastinal shift. This can be accomplished by reconnecting the chest tube or, in this case, immersing the end of the chest tube 1 to 2 inches below the surface of a 250-mL bottle of sterile water or normal saline until a new chest tube can be set up. The primary health care provider should be notified but only after taking corrective action. If the primary health care provider is called first, tension pneumothorax has time to develop. Clamping the chest tube could also cause tension pneumothorax. A petroleum gauze would be applied to the skin over the chest tube insertion site if the entire chest tube was accidentally removed from the chest.
An adult client has undergone a lumbar puncture to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for analysis. After reviewing the results of the analysis, the nurse recognizes that the CSF is normal when which element is negative?
- A. Protein
- B. Glucose
- C. Red blood cells
- D. White blood cells
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The adult with a normal CSF has no red blood cells in the CSF. Protein (15-45 mg/dL [0.15-0.45 g/L]) and glucose (50-75 mg/dL [2.8-4.2 mmol/L]) are normally present in CSF. The client may have small levels of white blood cells (0-5 cells/mcL [0-5 × 10^6/L]).