A 78-year-old patient is in the recovery room after having a lengthy surgery on his hip. As he is gradually awakening, he requests pain medication. Within 10 minutes after receiving a dose of morphine sulfate, he is very lethargic and his respirations are shallow, with a rate of 7 breaths/minute. The nurse prepares for which priority action at this time?

A. Diarrhea is not typically associated with ergotamine toxicity. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are more common adverse effects of ergotamine use.
B. Delirium is a potential sign of ergotamine toxicity. At toxic levels, ergotamine can cause central nervous system symptoms such as confusion, hallucinations, and delirium.
C. Hypotension may occur as an adverse effect of ergotamine due to its vasoconstrictive properties. However, hypotension alone may not indicate ergotamine toxicity.
D. Bradycardia is not a typical adverse effect of ergotamine. Ergotamine is more commonly associated with vasoconstriction and can lead to hypertension or tachycardia rather than bradycardia.

A. Diarrhea is not typically associated with ergotamine toxicity. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are more common adverse effects of ergotamine use.
B. Delirium is a potential sign of ergotamine toxicity. At toxic levels, ergotamine can cause central nervous system symptoms such as confusion, hallucinations, and delirium.
C. Hypotension may occur as an adverse effect of ergotamine due to its vasoconstrictive properties. However, hypotension alone may not indicate ergotamine toxicity.
D. Bradycardia is not a typical adverse effect of ergotamine. Ergotamine is more commonly associated with vasoconstriction and can lead to hypertension or tachycardia rather than bradycardia.

A. Myoclonic seizures are characterized by sudden, brief muscle jerks or twitches. These

movements are usually more pronounced and may involve multiple muscle groups compared to the described behavior, which involves a brief pause in activity without muscle jerks.

B. Absence seizures are characterized by brief episodes of staring or blanking out, often lasting for a few seconds. During an absence seizure, the child may appear to be staring into space, unaware of their surroundings. After the seizure, the child typically resumes their previous
activity without any memory of the event.

C. Status epilepticus refers to a prolonged seizure or a series of seizures without full recovery of consciousness between seizures. This condition is a medical emergency and presents with continuous or recurrent seizures without regaining consciousness.
D. Tonic-clonic seizures involve a sequence of tonic (stiffening) and clonic (jerking) phases, often accompanied by loss of consciousness and sometimes preceded by an aura. The described behavior does not fit the pattern of a tonic-clonic seizure, which typically involves more noticeable motor activity and loss of consciousness.