A nurse in the emergency department is caring for a client who has extensive partial and full-thickness burns of the head, neck, and chest. While planning the client's care, the nurse should identify which of the following risks as the priority for assessment and intervention?

Infection

Airway obstruction

Paralytic ileus

Fluid imbalance

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

Choice A Reason: Infection is a serious complication of burn injuries, but not the priority risk for assessment and intervention. The nurse should monitor the client's wound healing, temperature, white blood cell count, and signs of sepsis, and administer antibiotics as prescribed. However, these measures are secondary to ensuring adequate oxygenation and ventilation.

Choice B Reason: Airway obstruction is the priority risk for assessment and intervention for a client who has burns of the head, neck, and chest. The nurse should assess the client's airway patency, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, breath sounds, and signs of respiratory distress, such as stridor, wheezes, or cyanosis. The nurse should also provide humidified oxygen, suction secretions, elevate the head of the bed, and prepare for endotracheal intubation if needed. Airway obstruction can occur due to edema, inﬂammation, or inhalation injury of the upper airway, and can quickly lead to hypoxia, respiratory failure, and death.

Choice C Reason: Paralytic ileus is a potential complication of burn injuries, but not the priority risk for assessment and intervention. The nurse should assess the client's bowel sounds, abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting, and stool output, and administer ﬂuids, electrolytes, and nutritional support as prescribed. However, these measures are secondary to ensuring adequate oxygenation and ventilation.

Choice D Reason: Fluid imbalance is another potential complication of burn injuries, but not the priority risk for assessment and intervention. The nurse should assess the client's ﬂuid status, urine output, vital signs, weight, and serum electrolytes, and administer intravenous ﬂuids as prescribed. However, these measures are secondary to ensuring adequate oxygenation and ventilation.

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Correct Answer is A

Explanation

The correct answer is a. Respiratory status.

Choice A: Respiratory Status

Reason: After the evacuation of a subdural hematoma, monitoring the respiratory status is crucial. This is because changes in respiratory patterns can indicate increased intracranial pressure (ICP) or brainstem compression, which are life-threatening conditions. Ensuring that the airway is clear and that the patient is breathing adequately is the top priority. Normal respiratory rate for adults is 12-20 breaths per minute.

Choice B: Temperature

Reason: While monitoring temperature is important to detect infections or other complications, it is not the immediate priority in the acute postoperative period following a subdural hematoma evacuation. Fever can indicate infection, but it is less likely to cause immediate life-threatening complications compared to respiratory issues.

Choice C: Intracranial Pressure

Reason: Monitoring intracranial pressure (ICP) is very important in patients with brain injuries. Normal ICP ranges from 5-15 mmHg. However, changes in respiratory status can be an early indicator of increased ICP. Therefore, while ICP monitoring is critical, ensuring the patient’s respiratory status is stable takes precedence.

Choice D: Serum Electrolytes

Reason: Serum electrolytes are important to monitor for overall metabolic stability and to detect imbalances that could affect neurological function. Normal ranges for key electrolytes are: Sodium (135-145 mEq/L), Potassium (3.5-4.5 mEq/L), and Chloride (80-100 mEq/L). However, these are not the immediate priority in the acute phase following surgery compared to respiratory status.

A. Verify the prescribed ventilator settings daily. B. Apply restraints if the client becomes agitated. C. Administer pantoprazole as prescribed. D. Reposition the endotracheal tube to the opposite side of the mouth daily. E. Elevate the head of the bed to at least 30°.

Correct Answer is ["A","C","E"]

Explanation

Choice A Reason: This choice is correct because verifying the prescribed ventilator settings daily is an important intervention to ensure that the client is receiving adequate ventilation and oxygenation. The ventilator settings include parameters such as tidal volume, respiratory rate, fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), and peak inspiratory pressure (PIP). The nurse should check that the settings match the prescription and report any changes or alarms to the provider.

Choice B Reason: This choice is incorrect because applying restraints if the client becomes agitated is not a recommended intervention to prevent complications. Restraints may cause injury, infection, or psychological distress to the client and increase the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The nurse should use alternative methods to manage agitation, such as sedation, analgesia, or environmental modification.

Choice C Reason: This choice is correct because administering pantoprazole as prescribed is an important intervention to prevent complications. Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that reduces the production of stomach acid and prevents gastroesophageal reﬂux disease (GERD) and stress ulcers. These conditions can cause aspiration, bleeding, or infection in clients who are receiving mechanical ventilation.

Choice D Reason: This choice is incorrect because repositioning the endotracheal tube to the opposite side of the mouth daily is not a recommended intervention to prevent complications. Repositioning the endotracheal tube may cause trauma, bleeding, or displacement of the tube, which can compromise the airway and ventilation of the client. The nurse should secure the tube with tape or a device and check its position regularly using chest x-ray or end-tidal CO2 monitoring.

Choice E Reason: This choice is correct because elevating the head of the bed to at least 30° is an important intervention to prevent complications. Elevatin the head of the bed helps to reduce the risk of aspiration, which is the inhalation of gastric contents or secretions into the lungs. Aspiration can cause pneumonia, atelectasis, or respiratory failure in clients who are receiving mechanical ventilation.

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A nurse in the emergency department is caring for a client who has extensive partial and full-thickness burns of the head, neck, and chest. While planning the client's care, the nurse should identify which of the following risks as the priority for assessment and intervention?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A nurse is caring for a client 4 hr following evacuation of a subdural hematoma. Which of the following assessments is the nurse's priority?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving positive-pressure mechanical ventilation. Which of the following interventions should the nurse implement to prevent complications? (Select all that apply.)

Correct Answer is ["A","C","E"]

Explanation

A nurse is assessing a client who has a pneumothorax with a chest tube in place. For which of the following findings should the nurse notify the provider?

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A nurse is monitoring a client who was admited with a severe burn injury and is receiving IV ﬂuid resuscitation therapy. The nurse should identify a decrease in which of the following findings as an indication of adequate ﬂuid replacement?

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