« previous next »

Author Question: A patient with a history of chronic heart failure is admitted to the emergency department (ED) with ... (Read 72 times)

mynx

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 555
on: Jun 25, 2018
A patient with a history of chronic heart failure is admitted to the emergency department (ED) with severe dyspnea and a dry, hacking cough. Which action should the nurse do first?
 
  a. Auscultate the abdomen.
  b. Check the capillary refill.
  c. Auscultate the breath sounds.
  d. Assess the level of orientation.

Question 2

A patient who has just been admitted with pulmonary edema is scheduled to receive the following medications. Which medication should the nurse question before giving?
 
  a. Furosemide (Lasix) 60 mg
  b. Captopril (Capoten) 25 mg
  c. Digoxin (Lanoxin) 0.125 mg
  d. Carvedilol (Coreg) 3.125 mg


bitingbit

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 323
Reply #1 on: Jun 25, 2018
Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
This patient's severe dyspnea and cough indicate that acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is occurring. ADHF usually manifests as pulmonary edema, which should be detected and treated immediately to prevent ongoing hypoxemia and cardiac/respiratory arrest. The other assessments will provide useful data about the patient's volume status and also should be accomplished rapidly, but detection (and treatment) of pulmonary complications is the priority.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
Although carvedilol is appropriate for the treatment of chronic heart failure, it is not used for patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) because of the risk of worsening the heart failure. The other medications are appropriate for the patient with ADHF.


Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
« previous next »
 

Did you know?

Looking at the sun may not only cause headache and distort your vision temporarily, but it can also cause permanent eye damage. Any exposure to sunlight adds to the cumulative effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on your eyes. UV exposure has been linked to eye disorders such as macular degeneration, solar retinitis, and corneal dystrophies.

Did you know?

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) in overdose can seriously damage the liver. It should never be taken by people who use alcohol heavily; it can result in severe liver damage and even a condition requiring a liver transplant.

Did you know?

If you could remove all of your skin, it would weigh up to 5 pounds.

Did you know?

The oldest recorded age was 122. Madame Jeanne Calment was born in France in 1875 and died in 1997. She was a vegetarian and loved olive oil, port wine, and chocolate.

Did you know?

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. As of yet, there is no cure. Everyone is at risk, and there may be no warning signs. It is six to eight times more common in African Americans than in whites. The best and most effective way to detect glaucoma is to receive a dilated eye examination.

Testing Visual Fields by Confrontation: The nurse and patient should be approximately at an eye to e Testing Visual Fields by Confrontation: The nurse and patient should be approximately at an eye to e
Stained section of cerebral cortex from autopsy of a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Stained section of cerebral cortex from autopsy of a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Patient teaching: nail assessment Patient teaching: nail assessment
Effective listening skills demonstrate empathy to the patient and break down barriers to communicati Effective listening skills demonstrate empathy to the patient and break down barriers to communicati
Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States, Brief Edition Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States, Brief Edition
Layers of the Heart Wall Layers of the Heart Wall
Video: Phlebotomy

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library