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 for Correct Choices:

• Pain level: The client reports severe epigastric pain radiating to the back with a pain score increasing from 7 to 9 out of 10. Managing this acute pain is critical to improve the client's comfort, reduce stress response, and help prevent complications such as respiratory distress caused by shallow breathing due to pain.
• Blood pressure: The client’s blood pressure has dropped to 86/48 mm Hg, indicating hypotension that can lead to poor tissue perfusion and shock. After addressing pain, stabilizing blood pressure is essential to prevent organ dysfunction and maintain hemodynamic stability.

Rationale for Incorrect Choices:

• Lung sounds: Although diminished breath sounds and rhonchi are concerning and may indicate complications, immediate pain control can improve respiratory effort and oxygenation before focusing on lung sounds.
• Bowel sounds: Hypoactive bowel sounds are common in pancreatitis but are less urgent than pain and hypotension in acute care.
• Temperature: Fever suggests infection or inflammation but is a lower priority compared to controlling pain and stabilizing blood pressure.
• Blood glucose level: Elevated glucose requires monitoring but is less urgent than the client’s pain and hypotension in the acute phase.

Rationale for correct choices:

• Apply oxygen via nasal cannula: The client’s oxygen saturation levels of 87–88% on room air indicate moderate to severe hypoxemia, requiring immediate correction. Since the client has a history of COPD and is post-MI, improving oxygenation is essential to reduce myocardial workload and prevent further ischemia or respiratory distress.
• Initiating a consult for cardiac rehabilitation: Once the client's immediate needs are stabilized, early initiation of cardiac rehabilitation is appropriate. This supports physical recovery, promotes lifestyle changes like smoking cessation and exercise, and reduces future cardiac risk.

Rationale for incorrect choices:

• Administer a second dose of nitroglycerin: The client’s chest pain has resolved following the initial dose, so there is no current indication to give a second dose. Re-administering nitroglycerin unnecessarily can lead to hypotension or reflex tachycardia, especially risky in a post-MI patient.
• Request a prescription for a PRN anxiolytic: The client has already been prescribed alprazolam 0.5 mg three times daily, and their anxiety has improved. Requesting an additional anxiolytic is unnecessary at this point and does not address the more urgent issue of low oxygen saturation.
• Requesting a prescription for a WBC count: There are no signs or symptoms of infection such as fever, chills, or elevated WBC to justify this request. The focus should remain on the client’s cardiopulmonary status and rehabilitation rather than diagnostics that are not clinically indicated.
• Administering a bolus of fluids: There is no clinical indication of fluid volume deficit, hypotension, or dehydration. Administering fluids to a post-MI patient with COPD may lead to fluid overload, pulmonary edema, or increased myocardial strain.