Nokea
The nurse is caring for a client who sustained a spinal cord injury that has resulted in spinal shock. Which assessment will provide relevant information about recovery from spinal shock?
- A. Reflexes
- B. Pulse rate
- C. Temperature
- D. Blood pressure
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Areflexia characterizes spinal shock; therefore, reflexes would provide the best information about recovery. Vital sign changes (options 2, 3, and 4) are not consistently affected by spinal shock. Because vital signs are affected by many factors, they do not give reliable information about spinal shock recovery.
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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 provides discharge instructions to a client who is recovering from testicular cancer surgery. Which instruction should the nurse include?
- A. To avoid driving a car for at least 2 weeks
- B. Not to be fitted for a prosthesis for at least 3 months
- C. To avoid sitting for long periods for at least 2 weeks
- D. To report any elevation in temperature to the primary health care provider
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: For the client who has had testicular surgery, the nurse should emphasize the importance of notifying the primary health care provider if chills, fever, drainage, redness, or discharge occurs. These symptoms may indicate the presence of an infection. One week after testicular surgery, the client may drive. Often, a prosthesis is inserted during surgery. Sitting needs to be avoided with prostate surgery because of the risk of hemorrhage, but this risk is not as high with testicular surgery.
A client diagnosed with myasthenia gravis is experiencing prolonged periods of weakness, and the primary health care provider prescribes an edrophonium test, also known as a Tensilon test. A test dose is administered and the client becomes weaker. How should the nurse interpret these results?
- A. Myasthenic crisis is present.
- B. Cholinergic crisis is present.
- C. This result is a normal finding.
- D. This result is a positive finding.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An edrophonium test may be performed to determine whether increasing weakness in a client with previously diagnosed myasthenic is a result of cholinergic crisis (overmedication) with anticholinesterase medications or myasthenic crisis (undermedication). Worsening of the symptoms after the test dose of medication is administered indicates a cholinergic crisis.
The nurse is performing an admission assessment on a client admitted with a diagnosis of Raynaud's disease. The nurse assesses for the associated symptoms by performing which actions?
- A. Checking for a rash on the digits
- B. Observing for softening of the nails or nail beds
- C. Palpating for a rapid or irregular peripheral pulse
- D. Palpating for diminished or absent peripheral pulses
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Raynaud's disease is vasospasm of the arterioles and arteries of the upper and lower extremities. It produces closure of the small arteries in the distal extremities in response to cold, vibration, or external stimuli. Palpation for diminished or absent peripheral pulses checks for interruption of circulation. Skin changes include hair loss, thinning or tightening of the skin, and delayed healing of cuts or injuries. A rash on the digits is not a characteristic of this disorder. The nails grow slowly become brittle or deformed, and heal poorly around the nail beds when infected. Although palpation of peripheral pulses is correct, a rapid or irregular pulse would not be noted.
The nurse has a prescription to ambulate a client with a nephrostomy tube four times a day. The nurse determines that the safest way to ambulate the client while maintaining the integrity of the nephrostomy tube is to implement which intervention?
- A. Change the drainage bag to a leg collection bag.
- B. Tie the drainage bag to the client's waist while ambulating.
- C. Use a walker to hang the drainage bag from while ambulating.
- D. Tell the client to hold the drainage bag higher than the level of the bladder.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The safest approach to protect the integrity and safety of the nephrostomy tube with a mobile client is to attach the tube to a leg collection bag. This allows for greater freedom of movement, while preventing accidental disconnection or dislodgment. The drainage bag is kept below the level of the bladder. Option 3 presents the risk of tension or pulling on the nephrostomy tube by the client during ambulation.