A patient diagnosed with preeclampsia is admitted to the hospital and prescribed magnesium sulfate therapy.
What is the purpose of administering magnesium sulfate to this patient?

The correct answer is choice C. “What drugs have you used during your pregnancy?”.

This question is open-ended and nonjudgmental, which encourages the patient to disclose more information about her drug use.

The nurse can then assess the type, frequency, and amount of drugs used and plan appropriate interventions.

Choice A is wrong because it is a closed-ended question that can be answered with a yes or no, and it implies criticism of the patient’s behavior, which may make her defensive and less willing to cooperate.

Choice B is wrong because it is also a closed-ended question that can be answered with a yes or no, and it may frighten or anger the patient, who may not be aware of the legal implications of her drug use.

Choice D is wrong because it is too vague and may not cover all the possible drugs that the patient may have used, such as prescription medications, alcohol, or tobacco.

It also labels the patient as a drug user, which may offend her or make her feel ashamed.

This is because late fetal heart rate decelerations are a sign of uteroplacental insufficiency, which means that the placenta is not delivering enough oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.Oxytocin can cause uterine tachysystole, which is excessive and frequent contractions that reduce blood flow to the placenta.Therefore, stopping the oxytocin infusion can help improve placental perfusion and fetal oxygenation.

Choice A is wrong because documenting the findings is not a priority action in this situation.

The nurse should first intervene to address the cause of late decelerations and then document the actions and outcomes.

Choice C is wrong because raising the head of the patient’s bed 30 degrees does not directly affect the placental blood flow or fetal oxygenation.

It may help with maternal comfort and breathing, but it is not an essential action for late decelerations.

Choice D is wrong because notifying the health care provider is not the first action to take.The nurse should first attempt to correct the cause of late decelerations by pausing the oxytocin infusion and then notify the health care provider if there is no improvement or if there are other signs of fetal distress.