A nurse is caring for a client who had a total right hip arthroplasty. In which of the following positions should the nurse place the client to prevent complications?

Anticipated:

• Metoprolol 5 mg every 2 to 3 min up to three doses
• Oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula
• Draw electrolytes along with Hgb and Hct
• Morphine 6 mg IV bolus every 3 hr as needed for pain
• Nitroglycerin 0.4 mg SL now may repeat every 5 min up to 3 doses

Nonessential:

• Obtain daily weight

Contraindicated:

• Atropine 0.5 mg IV bolus every 5 min up to 2 mg

Rationale:

• Metoprolol 5 mg every 2 to 3 min up to three doses: Beta-blockers reduce myocardial oxygen demand by decreasing heart rate and blood pressure, making them beneficial in acute coronary syndrome. They should be used cautiously in patients with signs of heart failure or bradycardia.
• Oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula: Supplemental oxygen is recommended for clients with acute coronary syndrome when oxygen saturation is below 94% to optimize myocardial oxygen supply and prevent ischemia.
• Draw electrolytes along with Hgb and Hct: Electrolytes are critical in evaluating myocardial function, and hemoglobin/hematocrit levels help assess perfusion and oxygen-carrying capacity.
• Morphine 6 mg IV bolus every 3 hr as needed for pain: Morphine is used to relieve severe chest pain in myocardial infarction and reduce myocardial oxygen demand by decreasing anxiety and preload.
• Nitroglycerin 0.4 mg SL now may repeat every 5 min up to 3 doses: Nitroglycerin dilates coronary arteries, improving oxygen delivery to the myocardium, and reduces preload and afterload, alleviating chest pain. It is a first-line treatment for angina and myocardial infarction but should be avoided in cases of hypotension.
• Obtain daily weight: Daily weight monitoring is primarily used for fluid balance assessment in conditions like heart failure rather than for acute myocardial infarction management.
• Atropine 0.5 mg IV bolus every 5 min up to 2 mg: Atropine is used to treat bradycardia. However, the client is tachycardic, so atropine would worsen the condition and is contraindicated.

A. 1:1 ratio of P to QRS waves: Atrial fibrillation is characterized by chaotic atrial electrical activity, leading to the absence of distinct P waves. A 1:1 ratio of P to QRS waves is seen in normal sinus rhythm, not atrial fibrillation.

B. Absence of P waves: Atrial fibrillation causes rapid, disorganized atrial depolarization, resulting in the loss of identifiable P waves on ECG. Instead, fibrillatory waves are seen, and the ventricular response is irregularly irregular.

C. Prolonged PR interval: The PR interval represents the time between atrial and ventricular depolarization. In atrial fibrillation, there is no coordinated atrial depolarization, making the PR interval unmeasurable rather than prolonged.

D. Prolonged QT interval: A prolonged QT interval is associated with conditions like electrolyte imbalances, certain medications, and congenital syndromes, but it is not a typical feature of atrial fibrillation.