A client receiving a blood transfusion suddenly becomes agitated, dyspneic, and reports a sense of impending doom. The nurse assesses the client and notes jugular vein distention and muffled heart sounds. What action should the nurse take next?

A) Raising the head of the client's bed and administering oxygen is the immediate action to improve oxygenation and relieve respiratory distress in a client experiencing potential pulmonary edema, as evidenced by the pink, frothy sputum.

B) Obtaining a sputum sample for culture and sensitivity testing may be important to assess for infection, but it is not the nurse's immediate action in response to a severe transfusion reaction.

C) Administering a diuretic may help with pulmonary congestion, but it is not the nurse's immediate action in response to a severe transfusion reaction. The priority is to improve oxygenation.

D) Discontinuing the blood transfusion and removing the IV catheter is important, but the immediate action to address the client's respiratory distress is to raise the head of the bed and administer oxygen. Stopping the transfusion can follow after the client's respiratory status stabilizes.

Questions

A) Correct: Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) contains various clotting factors and is used to manage clotting factor deficiencies, including those related to liver disease.

B) Incorrect: Platelets are used to treat thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction but do not primarily address clotting factor deficiencies caused by liver disease.

C) Incorrect: Cryoprecipitate is derived from FFP and contains concentrated fibrinogen and other clotting factors. It may be used in some cases of liver disease, but FFP is the more common choice for managing these conditions.

D) Incorrect: Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBCs) are used to improve oxygenation in anemic clients and are not the primary treatment for clotting factor deficiencies related to liver disease.

Questions