On the first postoperative day following a total thyroidectomy, ...

[tingc95]

On the first postoperative day following a total thyroidectomy, which finding(s) would lead the nurse to suspect that the patient may be developing a thyroid storm? (select all that apply.)
 
  a. Temperature of 101.8 F
  b. Pulse of 58 beats/min
  c. Brief attention span
  d. Apprehension and restlessness
  e. Respiratory rate of 12 breaths/min

Question 2

A skin biopsy has been scheduled on a patient to rule out the presence of a malignancy. Which instruction is most important for the nurse to include in patient teaching?
 
  a. General anesthesia will be used during the procedure.
  b. Change the bandage the day after the pro-cedure and then weekly for 2 weeks.
  c. Sutures placed at the site of the biopsy will be removed in approximately 10 days.
  d. Do not eat or drink anything after mid-night the night before the procedure.

[elizabethrperez]

Answer to Question 1

A, C, D
Rising temperature, a brief attention span, and apprehension with restlessness would indicate a developing thyroid storm. Increasing pulse and respirations are other manifestations of thyroid storm.

Answer to Question 2

C
A skin biopsy can be used to rule out a malignancy or to diagnose the causative organism in a lesion. Sutures will be removed in 10 to 14 days after the procedure. The procedure will be per-formed under local anesthesia, the bandage should be changed daily, and no preprocedure prep-aration is required.

[tingc95]

TYSM

[aruss1303]

Excellent