Which action should the nurse take when the low-pressure alarm sounds for a patient who has an arterial line in the right radial artery?

Check the right hand for rash.

Assess the waveform for under-dampening

Assess for cardiac dysrhythmias.

Rezero the monitoring equipment.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

When the low-pressure alarm sounds, it indicates that the pressure being detected by the arterial line is below the set threshold. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as a loose connection, air bubbles, or a shift in the zero-reference point.
Rezeroing the monitoring equipment involves recalibrating or resetting the baseline reference point for the arterial pressure waveform. This ensures accurate measurement and monitoring of the patient's arterial pressure.
A. Checking the right hand for a rash in (option A) is incorrect because While assessing the patient for any skin changes or rashes is important, it is not the first action to take in response to a low-pressure alarm.
B. Assessing the waveform for under-dampening in (option B) is incorrect because Assessing the waveform characteristics is important in arterial line monitoring, but it may not be the initial action when the low-pressure alarm sounds. Rezeroing the equipment should be performed before assessing waveform characteristics.
C. Assessing for cardiac dysrhythmias in (option C) is incorrect because Assessing for dysrhythmias is an important aspect of patient care, but it may not be directly related to the low-pressure alarm from the arterial line. Rezeroing the monitoring equipment takes precedence.
Therefore, when the low-pressure alarm sounds for a patient with an arterial line, the nurse should first re-zero the monitoring equipment to ensure accurate measurement of arterial pressure.

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Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is ["18"]

Explanation

Step 1: Convert the patient's weight from pounds to kilograms. 130 pounds ÷ 2.205 (1 pound = 0.453592 kilograms) ≈ 58.97 kilograms

Step 2: Calculate the total dosage of Dobutamine required per hour based on the weight-specific dose. 2.5 mcg/kg/min × 58.97 kg = 147.425 mcg/min

Step 3: Calculate the infusion rate (mL/hr) using the concentration of Dobutamine in the prepared solution. The solution contains 250 mg of Dobutamine in 500 mL, which means there are 250,000 mcg of Dobutamine in 500 mL. To determine the mL/hr, divide the required dosage (147.425 mcg/min) by the amount of Dobutamine in 500 mL (250,000 mcg) and multiply by 500 mL (volume of the solution).

(147.425 mcg/min ÷ 250,000 mcg) × 500 mL ≈ 0.295 mL/min

To get the mL/hr, we convert the rate from minutes to hours (60 minutes = 1 hour):

0.295 mL/min × 60 min/hr ≈ 17.7 mL/hr

Round the answer to the nearest whole number:

Approximately 18 mL/hr of Dobutamine should be administered to the patient.

A. It causes vasoconstriction and increased MAP. B. Lower blood volume lowers MAP. C. It raises cardiac output and MAP. D. There is no direct correlation to MAP.

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Mean arterial pressure (MAP) is a measure of the average pressure within the arteries during one cardiac cycle. It represents the perfusion pressure that drives blood flow to organs and tissues. MAP is calculated using the formula:
MAP = Diastolic blood pressure + 1/3 (Systolic blood pressure - Diastolic blood pressure)
Blood loss, particularly in cases of significant hemorrhage, leads to a decrease in blood volume. When blood volume decreases, there is less circulating blood available to generate pressure within the arterial system. This reduction in blood volume results in decreased MAP.
Therefore, in the case of massive blood loss after trauma, the student can correlate it with a lower blood volume, which in turn leads to a lower MAP. The decrease in blood volume reduces the perfusion pressure, compromising organ and tissue perfusion
A. It causes vasoconstriction and increased MAP in (option A) is incorrect because: While vasoconstriction can occur as a compensatory mechanism to maintain blood pressure, it does not necessarily lead to an increased MAP in the context of significant blood loss.
C. It raises cardiac output and MAP in (option C) is incorrect because Blood loss typically leads to a reduction in cardiac output due to decreased blood volume. Therefore, it does not raise cardiac output and MAP.
D. There is no direct correlation to MAP in (option D) is incorrect because: There is indeed a direct correlation between blood loss and MAP. As blood volume decreases, MAP decreases as well.
Therefore, the correct correlation between blood loss and MAP is that lower blood volume lowers MAP.

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Which action should the nurse take when the low-pressure alarm sounds for a patient who has an arterial line in the right radial artery?

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Correct Answer is ["18"]

Explanation

A student is caring for a patient who suffered massive blood loss after trauma. How does the student correlate the blood loss with the patient's mean arterial pressure (MAP)?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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