A nurse is caring for a patient who has cirrhosis of the liver.
The patient’s vital signs are as follows: Heart rate 101/min, Temperature 36 C (96.9 F), Respiratory rate 24/min, Blood pressure 82/58 mm Hg, Oxygen saturation 92%. Which of the following assessment findings require immediate follow-up? Select all that apply.

Choice A rationale: Wearing a mask when caring for the client is not necessarily required in this scenario. The client has a fever, sore throat, and fatigue, which could be symptoms of many different illnesses. While it’s always important to use personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary, the need for a mask isn’t specified in this scenario. The nurse should follow the hospital’s infection control guidelines and use PPE appropriately.

Choice B rationale: Encouraging the client to increase fluid intake is a good action for the nurse to take. The client appears slightly dehydrated, and increasing fluid intake can help alleviate this. Dehydration can make the body more susceptible to infection and can make recovery more difficult. By encouraging the client to drink more fluids, the nurse is helping to combat the client’s dehydration and potentially helping to speed up recovery.

Choice C rationale: Placing the client in a private room is not necessarily required based on the information provided. Unless the client’s condition is known to be contagious and requires isolation, a private room may not be necessary. The nurse should follow the hospital’s guidelines for room assignments.

Choice D rationale: Placing the client on contact precautions is not necessarily required based on the information provided. Contact precautions are used for patients who are known or suspected to have serious illnesses that are easily spread by direct patient contact or by indirect contact with items in the patient’s environment. The client’s symptoms could be due to a variety of illnesses, and it’s not clear from the information provided that contact precautions are necessary.

Choice E rationale: Monitoring the client’s temperature every 4 hours is a good action for the nurse to take. The client has had a fever for the past two days, so regular monitoring is necessary. By keeping track of the client’s temperature, the nurse can monitor the progress of the illness and the effectiveness of interventions.

Choice F rationale: Checking the client’s allergy history before administering the antibiotic is a crucial action for the nurse to take. This is a standard precaution to avoid any potential allergic reactions to the medication. Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe and can potentially be life-threatening. By checking the client’s allergy history, the nurse is ensuring the safety of the client.

Choice G rationale: Educating the client about the importance of completing the full course of antibiotics is a crucial action for the nurse to take. This is crucial to ensure the infection is fully treated and to prevent antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of antibiotics and become resistant to the drug. This can make infections harder to treat. By educating the client about the importance of completing the full course of antibiotics, the nurse is helping to combat the problem of antibiotic resistance.

The correct answer is 120 gtt/min.

Step 1 is to convert the infusion rate from mL/hr to mL/min: 120 mL/hr ÷ 60 min/hr = 2 mL/min.

Step 2 is to multiply the mL/min rate by the drop factor to find the gtt/min rate: 2 mL/min × 60 gtt/mL = 120 gtt/min.