A patient is having dyspnea. What would the nurse do first?
Take the blood pressure
Remove the pillow from under the patient’s head
Elevate the foot of the bed
Elevate the head of the bed
The Correct Answer is A
A. Take the blood pressure:
Assessing blood pressure is a critical initial step when a patient is experiencing dyspnea. It helps provide information about the patient's overall cardiovascular status, which is essential in determining the severity of the dyspnea and guiding subsequent interventions.
B. Remove the pillow from under the patient’s head:
Removing the pillow may be a relevant intervention if the patient is in a position that could be contributing to respiratory distress. However, the priority is to first assess vital signs, particularly blood pressure, to gather information about the patient's cardiovascular status.
C. Elevate the foot of the bed:
Elevating the foot of the bed may be a consideration if the dyspnea is related to conditions such as heart failure, where raising the legs can help reduce venous return and decrease the workload on the heart. However, the initial priority is to assess blood pressure to guide appropriate interventions.
D. Elevate the head of the bed:
Elevating the head of the bed may be beneficial for patients with respiratory distress to improve ventilation and oxygenation. While this intervention may be appropriate, the first action should be to assess vital signs, particularly blood pressure, to gain an overall understanding of the patient's condition.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Performs auscultation between meals:
Auscultating bowel sounds between meals is suitable as it allows for better detection of bowel sounds when digestion is not actively occurring.
B. Clamps the Naso Gastric tube during auscultation
Clamping the Naso Gastric (NG) tube during auscultation is appropriate. The NG tube when unclamped allows the free passage of air and fluid through the gastrointestinal tract. This could interfere with the natural sounds produced by the movement of air and fluid in the intestines, potentially leading to inaccurate assessment of bowel sounds.
C. Palpates the abdomen prior to performing auscultation:
Palpating the abdomen before auscultation may interfere with normal bowel sounds
D. Auscultates bowel sounds for 3 to 5 min:
Auscultating bowel sounds for a sufficient duration (3 to 5 minutes) is appropriate to comprehensively assess the presence, frequency, and character of bowel sounds.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. The client attempted to climb over the side rails and fell:
This statement includes an interpretation of the client's actions. It's important to focus on factual information without making assumptions about the client's intentions or actions.
B. The client was restless and trying to get out of bed all evening:
Describing the client as restless and trying to get out of bed is a subjective interpretation of the client's behavior. Factual and objective observations are preferred when documenting incidents.
C. The presence of a bed alarm could have prevented the client from falling:
This statement includes an interpretation and a suggestion for prevention. While prevention strategies are important to consider, an incident report should primarily focus on describing what actually occurred rather than suggesting what could have prevented it.
D. The client was lying on the floor next to his bed:
This statement provides a clear and objective description of the situation without making assumptions or interpretations. It is important to document the actual events and the client's current condition.
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