The nurse is continuing to care for the adolescent.

Admission Assessment

1400:

Adolescent brought to emergency department by parents following a fall while skateboarding. Adolescent reports pain in their right leg as 10 on a scale of 0 to 10 and is unable to bear weight.

Adolescent is awake, alert, and oriented x 3. Lungs clear, respirations even and regular. S1 and S2 with regular rate and rhythm. Abdomen soft and nontender with active bowel sounds in all four quadrants. Right lower extremity with open wound and displaced bone. Right lower extremity pulse +1, extremity cool to touch, edema present, capillary refill 4 seconds.

Which of the following prescriptions should the nurse anticipate from the provider?

A. This is an incorrect action. Inserting air in the tube and listening for gurgling sounds in the epigastric area is not a reliable method to confirm NG tube placement, as it can produce false-positive results due to air entering the stomach or intestines.

B. This is a correct action. Aspirating contents from the tube and verifying the pH level is a valid method to confirm NG tube placement, as gastric contents typically have a pH of less than 5.5, while intestinal or respiratory contents have a higher pH.

C. This is an incorrect action. Reviewing the medical record for previous x-ray verification of placement is not sufficient to confirm NG tube placement, as the tube can migrate or become dislodged after insertion. X-ray verification should be done initially and whenever there is doubt about the tube's position.

D. This is an incorrect action. Auscultating the lungs for adventitious breath sounds is not a specific method to confirm NG tube placement, as it can indicate other conditions such as pneumonia or pulmonary edema. It can also miss signs of respiratory complications due to NG tube misplacement, such as pneumothorax or bronchial obstruction.

Choice A reason:

Discarding the first 10 mL of urine is a common practice for obtaining a urine sample for certain tests, but it is not specifically necessary for a urine culture. In a urine culture, the goal is to obtain a sample directly from the bladder to identify any bacteria present, so discarding the initial urine is not necessary.

Choice B reason

Donning sterile gloves prior to the procedure is the appropriate action for the nurse to take. When catheterizing a toddler for a urine culture, it is essential to maintain a sterile procedure to reduce the risk of infection and ensure the safety of the child. Using sterile gloves is a crucial step in preventing contamination during the catheterization process.

Choice C reason

The size of the catheter (12-French) mentioned in option C may not be appropriate for a toddler. The size of the catheter used for a toddler would generally be smaller, depending on the age and size of the child. The appropriate catheter size should be determined based on the child's age and condition.

Choice D reason

EMLA cream is a topical anaesthetic cream used to numb the skin before certain procedures. While it might be appropriate in some cases, it is not typically used for catheterization procedures in toddlers. Catheterization is a quick procedure, and using EMLA cream may not be necessary or practical in this situation.