A patient presents to the ER with numbness in the left arm, a severe headache, and trouble speaking. Which of the following diagnostic tests do you anticipate the healthcare provider to order?
CT scan
Hemoglobin and hematocrit
MRI
Pulmonary angiography
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: CT scan rapidly detects ischemic stroke or hemorrhage in the brain, critical for numbness, headache, and speech issues, guiding urgent treatment decisions.
Choice B reason: Hemoglobin and hematocrit assess blood count, not brain pathology like stroke, which requires imaging to identify infarction or bleeding, not anemia.
Choice C reason: MRI offers detailed stroke imaging but is slower than CT, less ideal for acute ER settings needing immediate diagnosis of neurological symptoms.
Choice D reason: Pulmonary angiography evaluates lung vessels for embolism, irrelevant to stroke symptoms (numbness, headache, speech difficulty), which localize to brain issues.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Epigastric fullness may suggest variceal pressure, but combativeness isn’t typical early bleeding; it’s more neurological, not a direct blood loss sign.
Choice B reason: Yellow sclera and hypoalbuminemia reflect liver dysfunction, not acute bleeding; hypertension contradicts blood loss, which lowers pressure initially.
Choice C reason: Bradycardia and lethargy occur late in severe hypovolemia, not early; hypotension fits bleeding but isn’t paired with early compensatory signs here.
Choice D reason: Tachycardia compensates for early blood loss in varices, restlessness reflects hypoxia, and pallor shows reduced perfusion, all classic initial bleeding indicators.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Hydroxychloroquine treats autoimmune diseases like lupus by modulating immunity, not hyperthyroidism’s excess thyroid hormone production, irrelevant here.
Choice B reason: Levothyroxine supplements thyroid hormone in hypothyroidism, worsening this patient’s hyperthyroidism (high T3/T4), contraindicated for her symptoms.
Choice C reason: Potassium iodide inhibits thyroid hormone release, reducing T3 and T4 in hyperthyroidism (e.g., Graves’), addressing her goiter, exophthalmos, and weight loss effectively.
Choice D reason: Methotrexate suppresses immunity in cancer or autoimmunity, not targeting thyroid overactivity or hormone levels, unsuitable for hyperthyroidism management.
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