A nurse receives a telephone call from a parent reporting that their school-age child has a nosebleed and that they cannot stop the bleeding. Which of the following instructions should the nurse provide to the parent?

Rationale:

A. Inject into the vastus lateralis: The preferred injection sites for insulin are subcutaneous areas such as the abdomen, upper arms, thighs, or buttocks. The vastus lateralis is used for intramuscular injections, not subcutaneous insulin administration.

B. Roll the syringe gently to ensure mixture of the insulins: Only the NPH (cloudy) insulin should be rolled gently between the hands to mix it evenly before drawing it up. The syringe itself should not be rolled after both insulins are inside, as this may affect accuracy.

C. Draw up regular insulin prior to NPH insulin: When mixing insulins, regular (clear) insulin should be drawn up first to avoid contaminating the vial of regular insulin with the cloudy NPH insulin, which could alter its action and absorption.

D. Use a 15 angle for the injection: Insulin is administered subcutaneously using a 45- to 90-degree angle, depending on the client’s body habitus. A 15-degree angle is too shallow and is used for intradermal injections, not subcutaneous ones.

Rationale for correct choices:

• Blood pressure: A reading of 148/94 mm Hg is elevated and meets criteria for gestational hypertension, especially in a client who is gravida 1 para 0. It raises concern for preeclampsia and must be closely monitored, particularly with concurrent symptoms like headache and edema.
• DTR: A deep tendon reflex of 3+ is considered hyperreflexic and may signal increased central nervous system irritability. In the setting of elevated blood pressure and other preeclampsia signs, it raises concern for worsening severity or impending seizure activity.
• Lower extremity assessment: The presence of 1+ dependent edema can be a normal pregnancy finding, but when paired with facial swelling, recent weight gain, and elevated blood pressure, it becomes significant and suggests fluid retention associated with preeclampsia.
• Weight assessment: A gain of 0.68 kg (1.5 lb) in a week may seem modest, but when it is sudden and combined with facial and dependent edema, it can indicate abnormal fluid accumulation. This pattern is concerning for preeclampsia and requires follow-up.
• Nausea: While nausea is common in pregnancy, its presence along with right upper quadrant pain and headache raises red flags for severe preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome. These are warning signs of potential hepatic involvement or worsening disease.

Rationale for incorrect choices:

• Fundal height: A fundal height of 29 cm is consistent with gestational age around 29 weeks and does not indicate an abnormal finding in this context. No follow-up is needed unless measurements are inconsistent with gestational dating.
• Respiratory assessment: The client’s lungs are clear to auscultation and respirations are even and non-labored. Oxygen saturation is 95% on room air, which is within normal range during pregnancy, so no respiratory issues require intervention.
• Fetal heart tracing: A fetal heart rate of 140/min is within the normal range of 110–160 beats per minute. There are no reported decelerations or signs of distress, so no immediate follow-up is indicated for the fetal tracing.