A nurse is preparing to administer blood to a client. The unit of blood on hand is type B, and the client has type AB blood. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Choice A: Contacting the provider for further orders is not necessary, because the client has type AB blood, which is compatible with any other blood type. The client can receive type B blood without any adverse reactions.

Choice B: Notifying the blood bank of the discrepancy is not required, because there is no discrepancy. The blood bank sent the correct type of blood for the client, according to their blood type.

Choice C: Administering the blood as ordered is the correct action, because type B blood is compatible with type AB blood. The client will not have any transfusion reactions or complications from receiving this type of blood.

Choice D: Completing an incident report is not appropriate, because there is no incident. The nurse did not make any error or mistake in administering the blood to the client. There is no need to document or report anything unusual.

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.