Nokea
Which information shown in the table below about a patient who has just arrived in the emergency department is most urgent for the nurse to communicate to the healthcare provider?
- A. Heart rate
- B. Platelet count
- C. Abdominal pain
- D. White blood cell count
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Platelet count. The platelet count is severely decreased, indicating a risk for spontaneous bleeding, which is a critical condition requiring immediate attention. While heart rate, abdominal pain, and white blood cell count are important, a severely decreased platelet count poses a more imminent threat to the patient's health and requires urgent communication to the healthcare provider. The nurse should prioritize addressing this potentially life-threatening issue to ensure prompt intervention and management.
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Which statement by a patient indicates good understanding of the nurse¢â‚¬â„¢s teaching about prevention of sickle cell crisis?
- A. Home oxygen therapy is frequently used to decrease sickling.
- B. There are no effective medications that can help prevent sickling.
- C. Routine continuous dosage narcotics are prescribed to prevent a crisis.
- D. Risk for a crisis is decreased by having an annual influenza vaccination.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
A 52-year-old patient has a new diagnosis of pernicious anemia. The nurse determines that the patient understands the teaching about the disorder when the patient states:
- A. I need to start eating more red meat and liver.
- B. I will stop having a glass of wine with dinner.
- C. I could choose nasal spray rather than injections of vitamin B12.
- D. I will need to take a proton pump inhibitor such as omeprazole (Prilosec).
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C. Pernicious anemia is a condition where the body can't absorb enough vitamin B12. Treatment usually involves lifelong replacement of vitamin B12. In this case, the patient understanding the disorder is correctly demonstrated by choosing nasal spray or injections of vitamin B12 for replacement therapy. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because increasing red meat/liver intake, stopping wine consumption, or taking a proton pump inhibitor like omeprazole do not address the primary issue of vitamin B12 absorption in pernicious anemia.
A patient who has acute myelogenous leukemia develops an absolute neutrophil count of 850/µL while receiving outpatient chemotherapy. Which action by the outpatient clinic nurse is most appropriate?
- A. Discuss the need for hospital admission to treat the neutropenia
- B. Teach the patient to administer filgrastim (Neupogen) injections
- C. Plan to discontinue the chemotherapy until the neutropenia resolves
- D. Order a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for the patient's home
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B because filgrastim (Neupogen) is a medication used to stimulate the production of neutrophils. Teaching the patient to self-administer these injections can help increase the neutrophil count and reduce the risk of infection. Option A is incorrect as hospital admission may not be necessary if the patient can manage the condition at home. Option C is not ideal as discontinuing chemotherapy can impact the leukemia treatment. Option D is unrelated to managing neutropenia in this scenario.
The nurse assesses a patient who has numerous petechiae on both arms. Which question should the nurse ask the patient?
- A. Are you taking any oral contraceptives?
- B. Have you been prescribed antiseizure drugs?
- C. Do you take medication containing salicylates?
- D. How long have you been taking antihypertensive drugs?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: 'Do you take medication containing salicylates?' Petechiae are tiny, pinpoint, red or purple spots on the skin due to bleeding under the skin. Salicylates, which are found in medications like aspirin, interfere with platelet function and can lead to petechiae and ecchymoses. Asking about salicylate-containing medications is crucial in this situation. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they are not directly related to the development of petechiae.
Which laboratory test will the nurse use to determine whether filgrastim (Neupogen) is effective for a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia who is receiving chemotherapy?
- A. Platelet count
- B. Reticulocyte count
- C. Total lymphocyte count
- D. Absolute neutrophil count
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D, Absolute neutrophil count. Filgrastim (Neupogen) works by stimulating the production and function of neutrophils. Therefore, monitoring the Absolute neutrophil count is crucial to assess the effectiveness of filgrastim in increasing neutrophil levels. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because platelet count, reticulocyte count, and total lymphocyte count do not directly reflect the effectiveness of filgrastim in increasing neutrophils, which are essential in fighting infections during chemotherapy.