A 22-year-old female patient with a history of asthma is admitted.
She has had two previous hospitalizations due to asthma-related symptoms.
She denies smoking but admits to drinking alcohol 1 to 2 times a week and using edible marijuana for severe premenstrual symptoms.
What event led her to the emergency department?

Choice A rationale

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is known as the “good” cholesterol because it helps remove other forms of cholesterol from your bloodstream. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Therefore, an HDL level of 85 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L) is helpful in reducing cardiac risk.

Choice B rationale

Encouraging the client to reduce consumption of fatty foods is not necessary in this case as the client’s HDL level is already high, which is beneficial for heart health.

Choice C rationale

Asking the client about hereditary cardiac risk factors is not the most relevant action in this case. The client’s HDL level is already high, which is beneficial for heart health.

Choice D rationale

Explaining that the client may need medication therapy is not necessary in this case as the client’s HDL level is already high, which is beneficial for heart health.

Choice A rationale

The patient vomiting at home for 3 days prior to surgery is crucial information that the PACU nurse should report. This could indicate a pre-existing condition or complication that needs to be addressed in the patient’s post-operative care plan.

Choice B rationale

While the patient refusing to take ice chips despite complaining of dry mouth is an important observation, it is not as critical as the patient’s pre-operative condition (vomiting for 3 days). The refusal of ice chips could be addressed through patient education and encouragement.

Choice C rationale

The presence of peripheral pulses and full range of motion in both legs is expected and normal in a post-operative patient, unless there were complications during surgery that could affect these observations. Therefore, this information, while important, is not as critical as the patient’s pre-operative condition.

Choice D rationale

The condition of the patient’s abdomen (soft, bowel sounds absent) and the absence of bleeding on the dressing are expected observations in a patient who has undergone an exploratory laparotomy. These observations, while important, do not provide additional critical information that the PACU nurse should report.