The emergency department nurse provides care for a 50-year-old male patient with septic shock. The nurse recalls that the renin- angiotensin system is activated during which stage of shock?

Central venous pressure (CVP) is a measurement of the pressure in the central veins, which reflects the blood volume and right-sided cardiac function. High CVP readings may indicate fluid overload or impaired cardiac function, and intervention is necessary to address the underlying cause.
Administering IV diuretic medications can help reduce fluid volume by increasing urine output and promoting fluid elimination. By removing excess fluid, the diuretic medications can help lower the CVP and alleviate the high pressures.
The other options mentioned are not the anticipated actions for addressing high CVP:
A. Increasing the IV fluid infusion rate in (option A) is incorrect because: If the CVP is already indicating high pressures, increasing the IV fluid infusion rate would further contribute to fluid overload and exacerbate the problem. This action would not be appropriate for high CVP readings.
C. Elevating the head of the patient's bed to 45 degrees in (option C) is incorrect because Positioning the patient with the head of the bed elevated is commonly done to prevent complications such as aspiration or improve respiratory function. While it may have other benefits, it does not directly address the high CVP.
D. Documenting the CVP and continuing to monitor in (option D) is incorrect because Documenting the CVP and continuing to monitor is important for ongoing assessment and evaluation. However, in the presence of high CVP readings, intervention is necessary to address the underlying issue rather than solely documenting and monitoring.
Therefore, when a patient's CVP monitor indicates high pressures following surgery, the nurse would anticipate administering IV diuretic medications to help reduce fluid volume and lower the CVP.

The nurse should listen over both lung fields to ensure that air entry is present bilaterally, indicating that the tube is correctly positioned in the trachea. This comes after observing chest movements.

B. Using an end-tidal CO2 monitor to check for placement in the trachea in (option B) is incorrect because End-tidal CO2 monitoring can provide confirmation of correct tube placement in the trachea by detecting exhaled CO2 levels. However, it requires additional equipment and setup, which may not be readily available at the bedside or immediately accessible.
C. Observing the chest for symmetrical movement with ventilation is the initial action after placing an endotracheal tube.
D. Obtaining a portable chest radiograph to check tube placement (option D) is incorrect because Chest radiographs are commonly used to confirm endotracheal tube placement, especially for long-term confirmation or if there are concerns about placement. However, obtaining a portable chest radiograph may involve delays and is not the initial action to be taken for immediate verification.
Therefore, the best initial action by the nurse to verify the correct placement of an endotracheal tube (ET) after insertion is to auscultate for the presence of bilateral breath sounds.