Mr. A, aged 89, is displaying a furrowed tongue, dry lips, and a thready pulse of 105, causing the care team to strongly suspect that he is dehydrated. Which of the following principles provides the best guide for managing Mr. A's immediate care?
A) Older adults cannot tolerate a rapid intake of oral fluids.
B) Older adults are more able to tolerate dehydration than younger people, owing to their lower volume of intracellular fluid.
C) Fluids should be replaced intravenously rather than orally in older adults.
D) Most older adults require between 2 and 3 L of fluid daily.
Question 2
The critical care nurse is caring for a patient with a pulmonary artery pressure monitoring system. The nurse is aware that pulmonary artery pressure monitoring is used to assess left ventricular function (cardiac output).
What else are pulmonary artery pressure monitoring systems used for?
A) To assess the patient's response to interventions such as fluid administration and drug administration
B) To obtain specimens for arterial blood gas measurements
C) They have been determined to not be clinically useful for continuous monitoring of a patient with heart failure.
D) To diagnose the etiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Tongue Conditions, Cranial Nerve XII (Hypoglossal) Palsy
Pulse oximetry. The small device provides a digital readout of oxygen levels in the blood.
Portable pulse oximeter and digital probe
The undersurface of the tongue is highly vascular
Palpation of apical pulse
Palpation of popliteal pulse