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The nurse is caring for a patient with chronic atrial fibrillation who develops sudden severe pain, pulselessness, pallor, and coolness in the left leg. Which of the following actions should the nurse implement first?
- A. Elevate the left leg on a pillow.
- B. Apply an elastic wrap to the leg.
- C. Assist the patient in gently exercising the leg.
- D. Notify the health care provider.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The patient's history and clinical manifestations are consistent with acute arterial occlusion. Clinical manifestations of acute arterial ischemia include the 'six Ps': pain, pallor, paralysis, pulselessness, paresthesia, and poikilothermia (adaptation of the limb to the environmental temperature most often cool). Without immediate intervention, ischemia may progress quickly to tissue necrosis and gangrene within a few hours. If the nurse detects these signs, the nurse should immediately notify the health care provider. Elevating the leg or applying an elastic wrap will further compromise blood flow to the leg. Exercise will increase oxygen demand for the tissues of the leg.
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The nurse is discussing risk factor modification for a patient who has a 4-cm abdominal aortic aneurysm. The nurse should focus patient teaching on which of the following risk factors?
- A. Male gender
- B. Marfan syndrome
- C. Abdominal trauma history
- D. Uncontrolled hypertension
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: All of the factors contribute to the patient's risk, but only the hypertension can potentially be modified to decrease the patient's risk for further expansion of the aneurysm.
Which of the following actions by a nurse who is administering fondaparinux to a patient with venous thromboembolism (VTE) indicates that more education about the medication is needed?
- A. The nurse avoids rubbing the injection site after giving the medication.
- B. The nurse injects the medication into the abdominal subcutaneous tissue.
- C. The nurse fails to assess the partial thromboplastin time (PTT) before administration of the medication.
- D. The nurse ejects the air bubble in the syringe before administering the medication.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The air bubble is not ejected before giving fondaparinux. The other actions by the nurse are appropriate.
The nurse is assessing a patient in the emergency department with a history of an abdominal aortic aneurysm with severe back pain and absent pedal pulses. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
- A. Obtain the blood pressure.
- B. Ask the patient about tobacco use.
- C. Draw blood for ordered laboratory testing.
- D. Assess for the presence of an abdominal bruit.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Since the patient appears to be experiencing aortic dissection, the nurse's first action should be to determine the hemodynamic status by assessing blood pressure. The other actions also may be done, but they will not provide information that will determine what interventions are needed immediately for this patient.
A patient in the outpatient clinic has a new diagnosis of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Which of the following medication categories should the nurse plan to include when providing patient teaching about PAD management?
- A. Statins
- B. Vitamins
- C. Thrombolytics
- D. Anticoagulants
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Current research indicates that statin use by patients with PAD improves multiple outcomes. There is no research that supports the use of the other medication categories in PAD.
A patient tells the health care provider about experiencing cold, numb fingers when running during the winter and is diagnosed with Raynaud's phenomenon. Based upon this diagnosis, the patient should be investigated for which of the following conditions?
- A. Hypertension
- B. Hyperlipidemia
- C. Autoimmune disorders
- D. Coronary artery disease
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Secondary Raynaud's phenomenon may occur in conjunction with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and patients should be screened for autoimmune disorders. Raynaud's phenomenon is not associated with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or coronary artery disease.