When selecting a site on the hand or arm for insertion of an IV catheter, the nurse should:
- A. Choose a proximal site.
- B. Choose a distal site.
- C. Have the patient hold his arm over his head.
- D. Leave the tourniquet on for at least 5 minutes.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When selecting a site for insertion of an IV catheter, the nurse should choose a distal site, not a proximal site. Selection of a distal site leaves the upper veins available for subsequent cannulations. Instruct the patient to hold his arm in a dependent position to increase blood flow. Never leave a tourniquet in place longer than 2 minutes.
You may also like to solve these questions
Your patient has alcoholism, and you may suspect during your assessment that his serum magnesium is low. What will the nurse potentially expect to assess related to hypomagnesemia?
- A. Tremor
- B. Pruritus
- C. Edema
- D. Decreased blood pressure
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
A female patient is discharged from the hospital after having an episode of heart failure. She's prescribed daily oral doses of digoxin (Lanoxin) and furosemide (Lasix). Two days later, she tells her community health nurse that she feels weak and her heart "flutters" frequently. What action should the nurse take?
- A. Tell the patient to rest more often.
- B. Tell the patient to stop taking the digoxin, and call the physician.
- C. Call the physician, report the symptoms, and request to draw a blood sample to determine the patient's potassium level.
- D. Tell the patient to avoid foods that contain caffeine.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Furosemide is a potassium-wasting diuretic. A low potassium level may cause weakness and palpitations. Telling the patient to rest more often won't help the patient if she's hypokalemic. Digoxin isn't causing the patient's symptoms, so she doesn't need to stop taking it. The patient should probably avoid caffeine, but this wouldn't resolve potassium depletion.
A patient with diabetes insipidus is admitted to the intensive care unit after a motor vehicle accident that resulted in head trauma and damage to the pituitary gland. Diabetes insipidus can occur when there is a decreased production of which of the following?
- A. ADH
- B. Estrogen
- C. Aldosterone
- D. Renin
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
A 73-year-old man who slipped on a small carpet in his home and fell on his hip is alert and oriented; PERRLA (pupils equally round and reactive to light and accommodation) is intact, and he has come by ambulance to the emergency department (ED). Heart rate elevated, he is anxious and thirsty. A Foley catheter is in place and 40mL of urine is present. The nurse's most likely explanation for the urine output is:
- A. The man urinated prior to his arrival in the ED and will probably not need to have the Foley catheter kept in place.
- B. The man has a brain injury, lacks ADH, and needs vasopressin.
- C. The man is in heart failure and is releasing atrial natriuretic peptide, which results in decreased urine output.
- D. He is having a sympathetic reaction, which has stimulated the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system that results in diminished urine output.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Renin is released by the juxtaglomerular cells of the kidneys in response to decreased renal perfusion. Angiotensin-converting enzyme converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II. Angiotensin II, with its vasoconstrictor properties, increases arterial perfusion pressure and stimulates thirst. As the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated, aldosterone is released in response to an increased release of renin, which decreases urine production. Based on the nursing assessment and mechanism of injury, this is the most likely cause of the lower urine output.
A patient's lab results show a slight decrease in potassium. The physician has declined to treat with drug therapy but has suggested increasing the potassium through diet. Which of the following would be a good source of potassium?
- A. Apples
- B. Asparagus
- C. Carrots
- D. Bananas
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.