A new mom delivered her baby 2 months ago.
The baby's father calls into the office to report that his wife is angry.
She is confused and having conversations with herself.
What is the appropriate response that the nurse should make?
Please take your wife to the nearest emergency room for evaluation.
Please bring your wife to the office for medication.
Your wife needs outpatient care.
Your wife needs behavioral therapy.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A rationale:
Advising the caller to take his wife to the nearest emergency room for evaluation is the appropriate response. The new mom's symptoms, including confusion and auditory hallucinations (conversations with herself), are indicative of a serious mental health condition. These symptoms could be caused by postpartum psychosis, a rare but severe form of postpartum depression. Postpartum psychosis requires immediate medical attention and hospitalization for the safety of both the mother and the baby. It is essential to rule out any potential medical causes and provide appropriate psychiatric evaluation and treatment in an emergency setting.
Choice B rationale:
Bringing the wife to the office for medication is not appropriate in this situation. The symptoms described by the baby's father are severe and require urgent evaluation in an emergency room. Medication management should only be initiated after a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, which can be conducted in an emergency room setting.
Choice C rationale:
Suggesting outpatient care is not appropriate in this case. The severity of the symptoms, including confusion and hallucinations, indicates the need for immediate evaluation in an emergency setting. Outpatient care is not sufficient for addressing acute psychiatric emergencies.
Choice D rationale:
Recommending behavioral therapy is not appropriate for a situation involving acute confusion and hallucinations. Behavioral therapy is a valuable treatment for various mental health conditions, but it is not the appropriate intervention for acute symptoms like those described in this scenario.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Leaving the infant in the room with the mother may not be appropriate, especially given the difficult delivery and the risk of complications, such as hypoglycemia.
Choice B rationale:
Taking the infant immediately to the nursery without monitoring vital signs and glucose levels could lead to missed signs of distress or hypoglycemia.
Choice C rationale:
Performing a gestational age assessment is important, but the immediate concern for this infant is the risk of hypoglycemia due to macrosomia (large birth weight). This choice does not address the immediate issue at hand.
Choice D rationale:
The correct answer. Macrosomic infants, especially those born after a difficult delivery, are at risk of hypoglycemia due to the excessive insulin production in response to high blood glucose levels. It is crucial to monitor the infant's blood glucose levels frequently and observe closely for signs of hypoglycemia, such as jitteriness, poor feeding, and lethargy.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Ribbon-like stools are more characteristic of conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or colorectal cancer, not intussusception. Intussusception is a medical emergency where one segment of the intestine telescopes into another, leading to obstruction and potentially compromised blood flow.
Choice B rationale:
Hard stools positive for guaiac are suggestive of constipation and are not specific to intussusception. In intussusception, the stool characteristics are usually not relevant to the diagnosis as the condition primarily involves intestinal obstruction.
Choice C rationale:
"Currant jelly" stools are a classic characteristic of intussusception. These stools contain mucus and blood and have a characteristic appearance due to the compromised blood flow and tissue damage in the intestines. Recognizing this stool description is crucial for identifying a potential case of intussusception.
Choice D rationale:
Loose, foul-smelling stools are not specific to intussusception. These symptoms could be indicative of various gastrointestinal issues but are not directly associated with the classic presentation of intussusception, which involves the passage of bloody mucus in the stool.
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