A nurse is reviewing home medications with a client scheduled for a cataract extraction procedure. Which of the following medications should the nurse question administering?

A) "Pentoxifylline can be administered to help the platelets from sticking together and occluding the vessels": Pentoxifylline is a medication used to improve blood flow by decreasing the viscosity of blood. However, it is not typically used to treat mitral valve stenosis. This statement does not accurately reflect treatment options for this condition.

B) "A heparin bolus is administered and followed with a continuous infusion to help keep the blood thinner": Heparin is an anticoagulant used to prevent blood clot formation, but it is not a treatment for mitral valve stenosis itself. While anticoagulants may be used in certain situations with mitral valve stenosis (such as in the setting of atrial fibrillation), they do not directly address the underlying valve narrowing.

C) "A flexible catheter will be inserted into a vessel of the arm, neck, or groin and advanced to the heart to dilate a narrowed or occluded artery": This statement describes a procedure known as percutaneous transluminal mitral valvuloplasty (PTMV), which is a minimally invasive intervention used to treat mitral valve stenosis. During this procedure, a catheter with a deflated balloon on its tip is inserted into a vessel and guided to the heart, where the balloon is inflated to widen the narrowed valve.

D) "A small catheter with a balloon on the end is threaded into a vessel in the groin and advanced to the heart where the balloon will be inflated, and the narrowed valve will be dilated": This statement accurately describes balloon valvuloplasty, which is a common procedure used to treat mitral valve stenosis. By inflating the balloon within the narrowed valve, the procedure aims to widen the valve opening, thus improving blood flow through the heart.

A. "Distributive shock occurs due to loss of myocardial contractility": This statement is incorrect. Distributive shock is not primarily caused by loss of myocardial contractility. Instead, distributive shock is characterized by widespread vasodilation, which leads to inadequate tissue perfusion despite normal or high cardiac output.

B. "Distributive shock occurs due to loss of blood volume": This statement is inaccurate. Distributive shock is not primarily caused by loss of blood volume. While hypovolemia (loss of blood volume) can lead to shock, distributive shock specifically involves excessive vasodilation, resulting in a relative hypovolemia due to pooling of blood in the expanded vascular bed.

C. "Distributive shock occurs due to systemic vasodilation": This statement is correct. Distributive shock, also known as vasodilatory shock, occurs due to widespread vasodilation of the systemic vasculature. This vasodilation leads to a decrease in systemic vascular resistance, which results in the redistribution of blood flow away from vital organs and tissues, leading to inadequate tissue perfusion and shock.

D. "Distributive shock occurs due to increased systemic vascular resistance": This statement is incorrect. Distributive shock is characterized by decreased systemic vascular resistance due to vasodilation, not increased systemic vascular resistance. Increased systemic vascular resistance is more commonly associated with conditions such as hypertension or obstructive shock.