The nurse monitors a child who has been treated for an acute asthma exacerbation. Which finding is the best indicator that treatment has been effective?
- A. Episodes of spasmodic coughing have decreased
- B. No wheezes are audible on chest auscultation
- C. Oxygen saturation has increased from 88% to 93%
- D. Peak expiratory flow rate has dropped from 212 L/min to 127 L/min
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Absence of wheezes indicates open airways, the primary goal of asthma treatment. Reduced coughing and improved oxygen saturation are positive but less specific than clear lungs.
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What nursing action is essential when oxygen is ordered for a client who is living at home?
- A. Assist the client and family in checking all electrical appliances in the vicinity for frayed cords.
- B. Encourage the client and family to purchase fire extinguishers.
- C. Remove electrical devices from the room where oxygen is in use.
- D. Encourage the client and family to carpet the client's room.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Checking for frayed cords reduces fire risk, as oxygen supports combustion. Extinguishers are secondary, removing devices is impractical, and carpeting increases static sparks.
The nurse is assessing a client with portal hypertension. Which of the following findings would the nurse expect?
- A. Expiratory wheezes
- B. Blurred vision
- C. Ascites
- D. Dilated pupils
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Ascites. Portal hypertension can occur in a client with right-sided heart failure or cirrhosis of the liver. Portal hypertension can lead to ascites due to the increased portal pressure as well as a lowered colloid osmotic pressure because of low albumin. When liver functioning deteriorates, protein metabolism suffers.
A client is brought to the emergency room with injuries sustained in an auto accident. While performing his assessment, the nurse notes the presence of Cullen's sign. Cullen's sign is suggestive of:
- A. A neurological injury
- B. A ruptured spleen
- C. A bowel perforation
- D. Retroperitoneal bleeding
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Cullen's sign, a bluish discoloration around the umbilicus, indicates retroperitoneal or intra-abdominal bleeding, often due to trauma or conditions like pancreatitis. It is not specific to neurological injury, spleen rupture, or bowel perforation.
The nurse checks the lab values of a newly admitted client. RBC: 4.0 million/mm³, WBC: 1500/mm³, Platelets: 40,000/mm³. What nursing actions are indicated because of these lab values?
- A. Keep the client on bed rest and protective isolation.
- B. Plan for protective isolation and do not give injections.
- C. Keep the client on bed rest and avoid trauma.
- D. There are no special nursing actions indicated.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Low WBC (neutropenia) requires protective isolation, and low platelets (thrombocytopenia) contraindicate injections to prevent bleeding and infection.
The nurse is teaching about nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to a group of arthritic clients. To minimize the side effects, the nurse should emphasize which of the following actions?
- A. Reporting joint stiffness in the morning
- B. Taking the medication 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals
- C. Using alcohol in moderation unless driving
- D. Continuing to take aspirin for short term relief
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Taking the medication 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals. Taking the medication 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals will result in a more rapid effect.