Which prescribed medication should the nurse administer first to ...

[Tirant22]

Which prescribed medication should the nurse administer first to a 60-year-old patient admitted to the emergency department in thyroid storm?
 
  a. Propranolol (Inderal)
  b. Propylthiouracil (PTU)
  c. Methimazole (Tapazole)
  d. Iodine (Lugol's solution)

Question 2

The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with diabetes insipidus (DI). Which information is most important to report to the health care provider?
 
  a. The patient is confused and lethargic.
  b. The patient reports a recent head injury.
  c. The patient has a urine output of 400 mL/hr.
  d. The patient's urine specific gravity is 1.003.

[anyusername12131]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
-Adrenergic blockers work rapidly to decrease the cardiovascular manifestations of thyroid storm. The other medications take days to weeks to have an impact on thyroid function.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
The patient's confusion and lethargy may indicate hypernatremia and should be addressed quickly. In addition, patients with DI compensate for fluid losses by drinking copious amounts of fluids, but a patient who is lethargic will be unable to drink enough fluids and will become hypovolemic. A high urine output, low urine specific gravity, and history of a recent head injury are consistent with diabetes insipidus, but they do not require immediate nursing action to avoid life-threatening complications.