A client arrives at the emergency room with symptoms of peptic ulcer disease. Which of these symptoms should the nurse identify as the priority?

Choice A: Bradycardia Bradycardia, or a slower than normal heart rate, is not typically a direct symptom of flail chest. While traumatic injuries can lead to various cardiac responses, bradycardia is not commonly associated with the respiratory distress seen in flail chest. Flail chest is a serious condition that occurs when a segment of the rib cage breaks due to trauma and becomes detached from the rest of the chest wall. This can severely affect breathing and lead to other complications.

Choice B: Anxiety Anxiety is a common response in patients with flail chest due to the pain and difficulty in breathing associated with the condition. The stress of the injury and the body’s response to the trauma can lead to feelings of anxiety and panic.

Choice C: Dyspnea Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, is one of the primary symptoms of flail chest. The instability of the chest wall and the paradoxical movement of the flail segment impair the normal mechanics of breathing, leading to shortness of breath.

Choice D: Unequal chest expansion Unequal chest expansion is a hallmark sign of flail chest. The affected area of the chest wall moves in the opposite direction to the rest of the chest during the respiratory cycle, which can be observed as an abnormal movement during inhalation and exhalation.

Choice E: Hypotension Hypotension, or low blood pressure, can occur in flail chest cases, especially if there is associated trauma such as bleeding or if the patient is in shock. The body’s response to the injury and the potential for compromised venous return due to the chest wall’s dysfunction can lead to hypotension.

Choice F: Paradoxical chest movement Paradoxical chest movement is a definitive sign of flail chest. It occurs when the broken section of the rib cage moves inward during inhalation and outward during exhalation, opposite to the normal chest movement. This is due to the loss of stability in the chest wall and is easily observable during a physical examination. Flail chest is a critical condition that requires immediate medical attention. The signs and symptoms associated with this condition include anxiety, dyspnea, unequal chest expansion, hypotension, and paradoxical chest movement. These symptoms reflect the underlying pathophysiology of the condition, which is the instability of the chest wall and the resulting impairment of normal respiratory function.

- Step 1: Identify the required dose in micrograms (mcg). The client is scheduled to receive 125 mcg of digoxin.

- Step 2: Identify the concentration of the available tablet. The available tablet contains 0.25 mg of digoxin.

- Step 3: Convert the tablet concentration from mg to mcg. We know that 1 mg = 1000 mcg. So, 0.25 mg = 0.25 × 1000 mcg = 250 mcg.

- Step 4: Calculate the number of tablets needed to deliver the required dose. We can set up a proportion to solve for this:

- 250 mcg is to 1 tablet as 125 mcg is to X tablets.

- In other words, 250 mcg : 1 tablet = 125 mcg : X tablets.

- Step 5: Solve for X using cross-multiplication and division:

- Cross-multiplication gives us: 250 mcg × X tablets = 125 mcg × 1 tablet.

- Simplifying this gives us: 250X = 125.

- Dividing both sides by 250 gives us: X = 125 ÷ 250.

- Calculating the division gives us: X = 0.5.

So, the nurse should administer 0.5 tablets per dose to deliver the required dose of 125 mcg.