A nurse is monitoring a patient in labor who has received epidural anesthesia for pain management. What should the nurse recognize as a potential complication from the epidural block?
Vomiting
Tachycardia
Hypotension
Respiratory depression.
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A rationale
Vomiting is not a common side effect of epidural anesthesia. Nausea can occur, but it is usually associated with the opioids used in the epidural, not the epidural itself.
Choice B rationale
Tachycardia, or a rapid heart rate, is not a typical side effect of epidural anesthesia. In fact, an epidural can sometimes cause a drop in heart rate, known as bradycardia.
Choice C rationale
Hypotension, or low blood pressure, is a common side effect of epidural anesthesia. The medication used in the epidural can cause blood vessels to relax, which can lower blood pressure.
Choice D rationale
Respiratory depression is not a common side effect of epidural anesthesia. The medication used in an epidural primarily affects the nerves in the lower body, so it does not typically impact breathing. Digoxin Digoxin Explore
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A rationale
While it’s important to assess the level of parental anxiety related to the diagnosis, it’s not the immediate priority. The child’s physical health needs to be stabilized first.
Choice B rationale
This is the correct answer. Auscultating the rate and characteristics of the child’s heart sounds is the immediate priority. Acute rheumatic fever can lead to serious cardiac complications, so it’s crucial to monitor the child’s heart function closely.
Choice C rationale
While assessing the severity of joint pain is important in managing the child’s comfort, it’s not the immediate priority. The child’s heart function needs to be assessed first.
Choice D rationale
While assessing the client’s erythematous rash is part of the overall assessment of a child with acute rheumatic fever, it’s not the immediate priority. The child’s heart function needs to be assessed first.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A rationale
Maternal bradycardia refers to a slower than normal heart rate in the mother. While it can affect the baby’s health, it doesn’t cause late decelerations on the fetal monitor.
Choice B rationale
Late decelerations are caused by uteroplacental insufficiency, which is a decrease in the blood flow to the placenta that reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients transferred to the fetus. This is why the nurse would interpret late decelerations as indicating uteroplacental insufficiency.
Choice C rationale
Umbilical cord compression can cause variable decelerations, not late decelerations. Variable decelerations are abrupt decreases in the fetal heart rate, typically associated with contractions, and they vary in onset, depth, and duration.
Choice D rationale
Fetal head compression typically causes early decelerations, not late decelerations. Early decelerations are a mirror image of the contraction and are generally not a concern.
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