A nurse is caring for a client who has a pulmonary embolism and has a new prescription for enoxaparin 1.5 mg/kg/dose subcutaneously every 12 hours. The client weighs 245 lbs. How many mg should the nurse administer per dose? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
The Correct Answer is ["167 "]
To calculate the dose of enoxaparin, follow these steps:
1) Convert the client's weight from pounds to kilograms:
245 lbs / 2.2046 (kg/lb) = 111.13 kg (rounded to the nearest whole number, it's 111 kg).
2) Multiply the weight in kilograms by the prescribed dose per kilogram:
111 kg x 1.5 mg/kg = 166.5 mg.
Round the answer to the nearest whole number, so the nurse should administer 167 mg per dose of enoxaparin every 12 hours to the client with a pulmonary embolism.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A Reason: This choice is incorrect because warm, flushed skin is not a sign of respiratory acidosis. Warm, flushed skin may indicate fever, infection, inflammation, or allergic reaction, but it does not reflect the acid-base imbalance in the blood.
Choice B Reason: This choice is incorrect because hyperactive deep tendon reflexes are not a sign of respiratory acidosis. Hyperactive deep tendon reflexes may indicate hypocalcemia, hyperthyroidism, or spinal cord injury, but they do not reflect the carbon dioxide level in the blood.
Choice C Reason: This choice is incorrect because bounding peripheral pulses are not a sign of respiratory acidosis. Bounding peripheral pulses may indicate increased cardiac output, anxiety, or hyperthyroidism, but they do not reflect the pH level in the blood.
Choice D Reason: This choice is correct because widened QRS complexes are a sign of respiratory acidosis. QRS complexes are the segments on an electrocardiogram (ECG) that represent the depolarization of the ventricles. A normal QRS complex duration is 0.06 to 0.10 seconds, and a widened QRS complex duration is more than 0.12 seconds. A widened QRS complex may indicate hyperkalemia, which is a common complication of kidney failure and respiratory acidosis. Hyperkalemia is a condition in which the serum potassium level is higher than normal (more than 5 mEq/L). It may cause cardiac arrhythmias, muscle weakness, or paralysis.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A: Drainage of clear fluid from the ears is not an expected finding for a client who has an epidural hematoma, but rather a sign of a basilar skull fracture, which is a different type of head injury. The clear fluid is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which leaks from the brain through the fractured skull.
Choice B: Alternating periods of alertness and unconsciousness is an expected finding for a client who has an epidural hematoma, because it indicates a rapid increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) due to bleeding between the dura mater and the skull. The client may have a brief loss of consciousness at the time of injury, followed by a lucid interval, and then a rapid deterioration of mental status.
Choice C: Narrowing pulse pressure is not an expected finding for a client who has an epidural hematoma, but rather a sign of increased ICP due to any cause. Pulse pressure is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. As ICP rises, it compresses the brainstem and causes bradycardia and hypertension, resulting in a decreased pulse pressure.
Choice D: Extensive bruising in the mastoid area is not an expected finding for a client who has an epidural hematoma, but rather a sign of a basilar skull fracture, which is a different type of head injury. The bruising is also known as Batle's sign, and it occurs due to blood pooling behind the ear.
