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Continue feedings as ordered: Continuing feedings may worsen the symptoms and put the patient at risk for aspiration or further gastrointestinal complications.

Administer prn pain medication: Pain medication will not address the underlying issue of nausea, vomiting, and GI symptoms. It may also mask symptoms or cause further GI upset.

This is a normal response, continue feedings as ordered: These symptoms are not normal. Nausea, vomiting, distention, and frequent diarrhea suggest a problem with the feeding regimen.

Turn the client to the side: Positioning may help with aspiration prevention but does not address skin irritation around the G-tube site.

Apply adhesive bandage directly to the skin: Adhesive bandages can further irritate or damage already sensitive skin and are not recommended for irritated or moist areas.

Keep the head of bed 25 degrees: While semi-Fowler’s positioning (30–45°) is good for preventing aspiration, this is unrelated to treating skin irritation directly.

"Have you been having diarrhea?" This is a risk factor or cause of hypokalemia but not a symptom of it. Good to ask, but not the most direct sign.

"Have you been experiencing difficulty breathing?" Severe hypokalemia can lead to respiratory muscle weakness, but it is not a common early symptom.

"Have you been experiencing chest pain?" Chest pain is not a common symptom of hypokalemia. It could signal cardiac issues, but not specific to low potassium.

Kinking the catheter tubing to obtain a urine specimen: Kinking the catheter tubing can cause backflow of urine, increasing the risk of infection, but it is not as significant a risk factor as improper drainage bag positioning.

Emptying the drainage bag every 8 hours or when half full: Properly emptying the drainage bag regularly reduces the risk of infection, as it prevents overfilling and backflow. This practice is usually part of proper care.

Failing to secure the catheter tubing to the patient's thigh: Securing the tubing to the thigh is important for preventing pulling or tension, but it’s not as significant in terms of infection risk as the positioning of the drainage bag.

Auscultate breath sounds: While auscultating breath sounds may reveal signs of aspiration (e.g., crackles), stopping the feedings is the immediate priority to prevent further aspiration and reduce the risk of complications like aspiration pneumonia.

Obtain a chest x-ray: A chest x-ray can confirm the presence of aspiration or pneumonia but is not the immediate priority. Stopping the feedings is more urgent.

Initiate antibiotic therapy: Antibiotics may be needed if aspiration pneumonia is suspected, but they should not be the first intervention. Stopping the feedings and assessing the patient should be done first.

Respiratory Decompression: "Respiratory Decompression" is not a term used in ABG interpretation.

Respiratory Alkalosis: Respiratory alkalosis is characterized by a pH greater than 7.45 and a PaCO2 less than 35 mm Hg. In this case, the pH is low (7.31), and the PaCO2 is elevated, which is not consistent with respiratory alkalosis.

Respiratory PH: "Respiratory PH" is not a proper ABG term.

Lay the client flat in the bed: The client should not be flat to reduce the risk of aspiration. The head of the bed should be elevated at least 30 to 45 degrees.

Administer oral pain medication: This action is not related to verifying NG tube placement prior to feeding.

Allow the feeding to flow by gravity: The nurse should verify tube placement before administering the feeding, regardless of whether it’s given by gravity or pump.