A nurse witnesses a motor vehicle crash and finds a client who is not breathing. The nurse suspects the client has a cervical vertebrae fracture. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
Open the client's airway using the jaw-thrust maneuver to provide oxygenation
Check the client's cranial nerve function by assessing pupils equal, round, reactive to light, and accommodation (PERRLA)
Place the client in a rigid cervical collar
Evaluate the client for brain injury
The Correct Answer is A
A. The first priority in this situation is to open the client's airway using the jaw-thrust maneuver. This technique is preferred for clients with suspected spinal injuries to avoid further spinal cord damage. Ensuring the airway is open and providing oxygenation are immediate life-saving actions.
B. Checking cranial nerve function, including assessing pupils, is important for evaluating neurological status but is not the first action when the client is not breathing. Ensuring the airway is open and providing oxygenation is the priority.
C. While placing the client in a rigid cervical collar is important for stabilizing the spine and preventing further injury, it should be done after ensuring the airway is clear. The immediate concern is to address the client's non-breathing status.
D. Evaluating the client for brain injury is important for overall assessment but is secondary to addressing the immediate life threat of not breathing. Ensuring the airway is open and then stabilizing the spine is the priority.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Labrynthitis is an inner ear disorder that causes vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss, but it does not typically involve otorrhea (ear discharge) or the sudden resolution of ear pain.
B. A perforated tympanic membrane is characterized by a sudden relief of ear pain when the eardrum ruptures, often accompanied by otorrhea (discharge from the ear). This condition is typically the result of an infection that increases pressure in the middle ear until the eardrum bursts.
C. Meniere disease involves episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, and fluctuating hearing loss, but does not usually present with ear pain followed by discharge.
D. Otitis externa, or swimmer’s ear, involves inflammation of the ear canal with symptoms like pain, itching, and discharge, but does not cause the sudden resolution of pain following the onset of otorrhea.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Current anticoagulant use is crucial to assess before administering t-PA because combining t-PA with anticoagulants can significantly increase the risk of bleeding complications. It is essential to ensure that the client is not on medications that could interact adversely with t-PA.
B. While blood pressure is important to monitor, it is secondary to assessing anticoagulant use since high blood pressure alone does not contraindicate t-PA administration.
C. A complete neurologic assessment is important for determining the extent of the stroke but is not the immediate priority before administering t-PA.
D. While treatment for peptic ulcer disease is relevant, it is not directly related to the immediate risk factors for t-PA administration compared to anticoagulant use.
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