The nurse is planning care for a client who has experienced a T3 spinal cord injury. The nurse should include which intervention in the plan to prevent autonomic dysreflexia (hyperreflexia)?
- A. Assist the client to develop a daily bowel routine to prevent constipation.
- B. Teach the client to manage emotional stressors by using mental imaging.
- C. Assess vital signs and observe for hypotension, tachycardia, and tachypnea.
- D. Administer dexamethasone orally per the primary health care provider's prescription.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Autonomic dysreflexia is a potentially life-threatening condition and may be triggered by bladder distention, bowel distention, visceral distention, or stimulation of pain receptors in the skin. A daily bowel program eliminates this trigger. Options 3 and 4 are unrelated to this specific condition. A client with autonomic hyperreflexia would be severely hypertensive and bradycardic. Removal of the stimuli results in prompt resolution of the signs and symptoms.
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A client diagnosed with both a wound infection and osteomyelitis is to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy. During the therapy, which priority intervention should the nurse implement?
- A. Maintaining an intravenous access
- B. Ensuring that oxygen is being delivered
- C. Administering sedation to prevent claustrophobia
- D. Providing emotional support to the client's family
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a process by which oxygen is administered at greater than atmospheric pressure. When oxygen is inhaled under pressure, the level of tissue oxygen is greatly increased. The high levels of oxygen promote the action of phagocytes and promote healing of the wound. Because the client is placed in a closed chamber, the administration of oxygen is of primary importance. Although options 1, 3, and 4 may be appropriate interventions, option 2 is the priority.
The nurse performing a prenatal assessment on a client in the first trimester of pregnancy discovers that the client frequently consumes beverages containing alcohol. Why should the nurse initiate interventions immediately to assist the client in avoiding alcohol consumption?
- A. To reduce the potential for fetal growth restriction in utero
- B. To promote the normal psychosocial adaptation of the mother to pregnancy
- C. To minimize the potential for placental abruptions during the intrapartum period
- D. To reduce the risk of teratogenic effects to embryo's developing fetal organs and tissue
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Alcohol consumption during the first trimester poses a significant risk for teratogenic effects, as this is a critical period for organogenesis in the developing embryo. Exposure to alcohol can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome or other congenital anomalies, making immediate intervention essential to protect fetal development. While fetal growth restriction, psychosocial adaptation, and placental abruption are concerns, they are less directly associated with early pregnancy alcohol exposure compared to teratogenic effects.
The nurse assesses a peripheral intravenous (IV) dressing and notes that it is damp and the tape is loose. What action should the nurse take initially?
- A. Stop the infusion immediately.
- B. Apply a sterile, occlusive dressing.
- C. Ensure all IV tubing connections are tight.
- D. Gather the supplies needed to insert a new IV.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: To determine subsequent nursing interventions, the nurse checks all connections to ensure tight seals while the IV infuses to help locate the source of the leak. If the leak is at the insertion site, the nurse stops the infusion, removes the IV, and inserts a new IV catheter. The nurse applies a new sterile occlusive dressing after resolving the source of the leak.
The nurse hangs an intravenous (IV) bag of 1000 mL of 5% dextrose in water (D5W) at 3 pm and sets the flow rate to infuse at 75 mL/hour. At 11 pm, the nurse should expect the fluid remaining in the IV bag to be at approximately which level?
Correct Answer: 400 mL
Rationale: In an 8-hour period, 600 mL would infuse if an IV is set to infuse at 75 mL/hour. Therefore, 400 mL would remain in the IV bag.
The nurse instructing a client with chronic pancreatitis about measures to prevent its exacerbation should provide which information? Select all that apply.
- A. Eat bland foods.
- B. Avoid alcohol ingestion.
- C. Avoid cigarette smoking.
- D. Avoid caffeinated beverages.
- E. Eat small meals and snacks high in calories.
- F. Eat high-fat, low-protein, high-carbohydrate meals.
Correct Answer: A,B,C,D,E
Rationale: Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive, destructive disease of the pancreas, characterized by remissions and exacerbations (recurrence). Measures to prevent an exacerbation include eating bland, low-fat, high-protein, moderate-carbohydrate meals; avoiding alcohol ingestion, nicotine, and caffeinated beverages; eating small meals and snacks high in calories; and avoiding gastric stimulants such as spices.