A 75-year-old client has a baseline oral temperature of 96.8° F (36° C). Two hours later the client’s oral temperature is 100.8° F (38.2° C).
Which action should a nurse take next?
Notify the health care provider to report and anticipate new orders.
Cover the client with an additional blanket & alert the UAP to recheck in two hours.
Chart the temperature on the vital signs sheet and report to the new shift coming on.
Assess the client’s temperature rectally and compare the results.
The Correct Answer is A
Notify the health care provider to report and anticipate new orders.
This is because an oral temperature of 100.8° F (38.2° C) indicates a fever, which could be a sign of infection or inflammation in an elderly client.
A fever of this magnitude could also cause dehydration, confusion, or seizures in older adults.
Therefore, the nurse should notify the health care provider as soon as possible to determine the cause and treatment of the fever.
Choice B is wrong because covering the client with an additional blanket could increase the body temperature and worsen the fever.
The UAP should not recheck the temperature in two hours, but rather monitor it more frequently and report any changes to the nurse.
Choice C is wrong because charting the temperature on the vital signs sheet and reporting to the new shift coming on is not enough to address the urgency of the situation.
The nurse has a responsibility to act on abnormal findings and communicate them to the health care provider.
Choice D is wrong because assessing the client’s temperature rectally and comparing the results is not necessary and could cause discomfort or injury to the client.
Rectal temperatures are usually higher than oral temperatures by about 0.5° F (0.3° C), so this would not change the interpretation of the fever.
The normal range for oral temperature in adults is 97.6° F to 99.6° F (36.4° C to 37.6° C).
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Are you taking the medication as prescribed? This is because warfarin is a blood-thinning medication that affects the prothrombin time (PT) and the international normalized ratio (INR).
The PT measures how long it takes for blood to clot, and the INR is a calculation based on the PT that standardizes the results across different laboratories. A normal INR range is 0.8 to 1.1 for people who are not taking warfarin. People who take warfarin usually have a target INR range of 2 to 3, depending on their condition.
An INR of 0.8 means that the blood clots faster than normal, which increases the risk of blood clots and strokes.
This could indicate that the client is not taking enough warfarin or is taking other medications or foods that interfere with warfarin’s effect.
Choice A is wrong because bleeding gums are a sign of excessive bleeding, which could happen if the INR is too high, not too low.
Choice C is wrong because blood in stools is also a sign of excessive bleeding, which could happen if the INR is too high, not too low.
Choice D is wrong because unusual bruising is another sign of excessive bleeding, which could happen if the INR is too high, not too low.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Do not eat or drink for 12 hours prior to the test. This is because fasting is required for a total serum cholesterol test to get accurate results. Fasting means not eating or drinking anything except water for 9 to 12 hours before the test.
Choice B is wrong because eliminating all dietary cholesterol for one week before the test is not necessary and will not affect the test results. Dietary cholesterol only accounts for a small portion of the total cholesterol in the blood.
Choice C is wrong because avoiding caffeinated beverages for several days prior to the test is not required and will not influence the test results. Caffeine does not affect cholesterol levels.
Choice D is wrong because stopping eating eggs and drinking milk for two days before the test is not needed and will not change the test results. Eggs and milk contain cholesterol, but they also have other nutrients that may lower the risk of heart disease.
Normal ranges for total serum cholesterol are less than 200 mg/dL (5.18 mmol/L) for adults. Higher levels may indicate an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
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