The nurse is providing care for a geriatric patient with loss of hearing acuity over the past several years. Which statement by the nurse is most accurate?

A. Radiofrequency catheter ablation involves the use of electrical energy (radiofrequency energy) delivered through a catheter to destroy or ablate the areas of the heart tissue responsible for the abnormal electrical signals causing atrial flutter. This destruction of tissue helps to interrupt the abnormal electrical pathways and restore normal rhythm.
B. The procedure for atrial flutter ablation does not use cold therapy. Instead, it uses radiofrequency energy (heat) to ablate the tissue. Cold therapy, or cryoablation, is a different technique that uses extreme cold to achieve similar effects but is not the standard approach for radiofrequency catheter ablation.
C. Radiofrequency catheter ablation does not involve removing clots. The primary purpose of the procedure is to ablate abnormal tissue causing arrhythmias, not to address clots. Managing clots may involve anticoagulant therapy or other treatments, but it is not the focus of ablation.
D. Radiofrequency catheter ablation does not stimulate the growth of new conduction pathways. Instead, it aims to destroy the abnormal conduction pathways responsible for arrhythmias.

A. Methylprednisolone is a corticosteroid used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system. While corticosteroids are sometimes used in critical care settings, they are not specifically used to prevent stress ulcers. In fact, corticosteroids can increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and may require additional measures to protect the stomach lining.
B. Enoxaparin is a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) used primarily for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). It works as an anticoagulant, preventing blood clots. While enoxaparin is important for preventing thromboembolic events in critically ill patients, it does not specifically address the prevention of stress ulcers.
C. Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that reduces gastric acid production by inhibiting the proton pumps in the stomach lining. PPIs are commonly used to prevent and treat stress ulcers because they help decrease gastric acid secretion, thereby reducing the risk of ulcer formation and bleeding. This makes pantoprazole the appropriate medication to administer to prevent physiologic stress ulcers in a patient with sepsis on a ventilator.
D. Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used for pain relief and inflammation. NSAIDs can actually increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and ulceration, especially in critically ill patients.