A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a 36-year-old client who is at 16 weeks of gestation and is scheduled for an amniocentesis. The nurse should include in the teaching that an amniocentesis is performed to identify which of the following findings?

Rationale:

A. Withhold the medication until the provider signs the prescription: Waiting for the provider's signature before administering a telephone order may delay critical care. Verbal or telephone orders can be acted upon immediately if clearly understood, documented, and later signed by the provider within the facility’s required timeframe.

B. Record the date and time of the telephone prescription: Accurate documentation includes noting the date and time the telephone order was received. This ensures clarity, legal compliance, and proper sequencing of medical events in the client's record.

C. Request that the provider confirm the read-back of the prescription: A read-back process reduces the risk of medication errors by confirming that the nurse correctly heard and understood the provider’s order. It is a Joint Commission-recommended safety practice.

D. Ask the provider to spell out the name of the medication: Asking the provider to spell out high-risk or sound-alike medications helps avoid transcription errors. This step is especially important when communication clarity is compromised over the phone.

E. Instruct another nurse to record the prescription in the medical record: The nurse receiving the order is responsible for documenting it. Delegating this task to another nurse increases the chance of miscommunication and errors, and violates proper protocol.

Rationale:

A. Swelling of the lips: Swelling of the lips can be an early sign of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction. Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis because it rapidly reduces airway swelling, improves breathing, and supports blood pressure by constricting blood vessels.

B. Nausea: While nausea may occur during an allergic reaction, it is not a primary life-threatening symptom addressed by epinephrine. Epinephrine targets cardiovascular and respiratory symptoms more directly, not gastrointestinal discomfort.

C. Hand tremors: Tremors are actually a potential side effect of epinephrine due to its stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The medication is not intended to treat tremors and may even cause or worsen them temporarily.

D. Hyperglycemia: Epinephrine can increase blood glucose levels as a side effect, but it is not prescribed to treat or manage hyperglycemia. Managing blood glucose is not part of the therapeutic purpose of this emergency medication.