A nurse is caring for a client who has pneumonia and tells the nurse, "I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest." The client is weak and unable to walk.
After the nurse initiates chest pain protocol, which of the following is the priority diagnostic test?

The correct answer is D.

Choice A reason: “A. Using this machine increases my risk of overdose.” This statement is incorrect because PCA pumps are designed with safety mechanisms to prevent overdose. The pump is programmed to deliver a specific dose of medication at set intervals, and it will not dispense more medication than what is prescribed by the healthcare provider.

Choice B reason: “B. I can get pain medication any time as long as I press the button.” While it is true that the patient can self-administer medication, PCA pumps have a lockout interval that prevents the machine from delivering another dose until a certain amount of time has passed, ensuring that the patient cannot receive medication too frequently.

Choice C reason: “C. My partner can press my pain medication button for me if I am sleeping.” This statement is incorrect. Only the patient should press the button on the PCA pump to ensure that the medication is administered safely and according to the patient’s current level of pain. Allowing someone else to press the button could lead to unsafe dosing.

Choice D reason: “D. I will receive a limited amount of pain medication when I press the button.” This is the correct statement. The PCA pump allows the patient to administer a controlled amount of pain medication within safe limits set by the healthcare provider. The pump is programmed to deliver a specific dose of medication, and there is a limit to the number of doses that can be administered per hour.

The correct answer is Choice B.

Choice A rationale: Maintaining bed elevation at 20 degrees is not recommended. The recommended bed elevation for patients receiving enteral tube feedings is at least 30 to 45 degrees.This is to prevent aspiration of the feeding solution into the lungs.

Choice B rationale: Flushing the tubing with 30 mL of water every 4 hours is a recommended practice.This helps to maintain the patency of the feeding tube and prevent clogging.

Choice C rationale: Checking for gastric residual every 12 hours is not sufficient.For patients receiving continuous tube feedings, gastric residual volume (GRV) should be monitored every 4 hours.This helps to assess tolerance to the feeding and prevent complications such as aspiration.

Choice D rationale: Placing enough formula in the container to last 18 hours is not recommended.For an open system, the formula should be replaced every 4 hours to prevent bacterial growth.