The nurse is caring for a client who has undergone transsphenoidal surgery for a pituitary adenoma. In the postoperative period, which information should the nurse provide to the client to minimize the risk for surgery-related injury?
- A. Cough and deep breathe hourly.
- B. Nasal packing will be removed after 48 hours.
- C. Report frequent swallowing or postnasal drip.
- D. Acetaminophen is prescribed for severe postsurgical headache.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The client should report frequent swallowing or postnasal drip or nasal drainage after transsphenoidal surgery because it could indicate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage. The client should deep breathe, but coughing is contraindicated because it could cause increased intracranial pressure. The surgeon removes the nasal packing placed during surgery, usually after 24 hours. The client should also report severe headache because it could indicate increased intracranial pressure.
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The nurse is caring for a client who will be taught to ambulate with a cane. Before cane-assisted ambulation instructions begin, what should the nurse check for as the priority to assure client safety?
- A. A high level of stamina and energy
- B. Self-consciousness about using a cane
- C. Full range of motion in lower extremities
- D. Balance, muscle strength, and confidence
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Assessing the client's balance, strength, and confidence helps determine if the cane is a suitable assistive device for the client. A high level of stamina and full range of motion are not needed for walking with a cane. Although body image (self-consciousness) is a component of the assessment, it is not the priority.
An emergency department nurse prepares to plan care for a child diagnosed with acetaminophen overdose. The nurse reviews the primary health care provider's prescriptions and prepares to administer which medication?
- A. Succimer
- B. Vitamin K
- C. Acetylcysteine
- D. Protamine sulfate
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Acetylcysteine is the antidote for acetaminophen overdose. It is administered orally or via nasogastric tube in a diluted form with water, juice, or soda. It can also be administered intravenously (undiluted). Protamine sulfate is the antidote for heparin. Succimer is used in the treatment of lead poisoning. Vitamin K is the antidote for warfarin.
The nurse provides information to a preoperative client who will be receiving relaxation therapy. What effects should the nurse teach the client to expect regarding this type of therapy? Select all that apply.
- A. Increased heart rate
- B. Improved well-being
- C. Lowered blood pressure
- D. Increased respiratory rate
- E. Decreased muscle tension
- F. Increased neural impulses to the brain
Correct Answer: B,C,E
Rationale: Relaxation is the state of generalized decreased cognitive, physiological, and/or behavioral arousal. Relaxation elongates the muscle fibers, reduces the neural impulses to the brain, and thus decreases the activity of the brain and other systems. The effects of relaxation therapy include improved well-being; lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate; decreased muscle tension; and reduced symptoms of distress in persons who need to undergo treatments, those experiencing complications from medical treatment or disease, or those grieving the loss of a significant other. This therapy does not cause an increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, or increased neural impulses to the brain.
A client has just undergone an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series. Upon the client's return to the unit, what primary health care provider's prescriptions does the nurse expect to note as a part of routine postprocedure care?
- A. Bland diet
- B. NPO status
- C. Mild laxative
- D. Decreased fluids
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Barium sulfate, which is used as a contrast material during an upper GI series, is constipating. If it is not eliminated from the GI tract, it can cause obstruction. Therefore, laxatives or cathartics are administered as part of routine postprocedure care. Increased (not decreased) fluids are also helpful but do not act in the same way as a laxative to eliminate the barium.
The nurse is sending an arterial blood gas (ABG) specimen to the laboratory for analysis. What information should the nurse include on the laboratory requisition? Select all that apply.
- A. Ventilator settings
- B. A list of client allergies
- C. The client's temperature
- D. The date and time the specimen was drawn
- E. Any supplemental oxygen the client is receiving
- F. Extremity from which the specimen was obtained
Correct Answer: A,C,D,E
Rationale: An ABG requisition usually contains information about the date and time the specimen was drawn, the client's temperature, whether the specimen was drawn on room air or using supplemental oxygen, and the ventilator settings if the client is on a mechanical ventilator. The client's allergies and the extremity from which the specimen was drawn do not have a direct bearing on the laboratory results.