A patient’s blood pressure is 90/72 mm Hg. What is the patient’s pulse pressure?

Choice A reason: Troubleshooting the ventilator delays oxygenation in a patient with acute lung failure. Manual ventilation ensures immediate breathing, making this incorrect, as it’s less urgent than the nurse’s priority to maintain the patient’s airway and oxygenation during an alarm.

Choice B reason: Manually ventilating the patient after disconnecting from the inoperative ventilator ensures oxygenation in acute lung failure. This aligns with emergency respiratory protocols, making it the correct first action the nurse should take to address the ventilator alarm.

Choice C reason: Calling the respiratory therapist is important but delays immediate oxygenation needed during a ventilator failure. Manual ventilation is the priority, making this incorrect, as it postpones the nurse’s critical action to ensure the patient’s breathing is supported.

Choice D reason: Silencing alarms without addressing the ventilator failure risks hypoxia in a lung failure patient. Manual ventilation is urgent, making this incorrect, as it’s unsafe compared to the nurse’s priority of ensuring oxygenation during the inoperative alarm.

Choice A reason: Testing skin turgor assesses dehydration, not severe hyponatremia (118 mEq/L), which affects neurological status. Assessing cognition detects complications, making this incorrect, as it’s less critical than the nurse’s priority of monitoring for hyponatremia’s neurological and fluid effects.

Choice B reason: Assessing cognition is critical with a sodium level of 118 mEq/L, as severe hyponatremia causes confusion or seizures. This aligns with neurological assessment, making it a correct action the nurse should perform to prevent harm in the hyponatremic client.

Choice C reason: Monitoring urine output tracks fluid balance, vital in hyponatremia to assess for SIADH or fluid overload. This aligns with renal assessment, making it a correct action the nurse should perform to prevent harm in the client with severe hyponatremia.

Choice D reason: Checking deep tendon reflexes detects neurological changes from hyponatremia, such as hyporeflexia or seizures. This aligns with neurological monitoring, making it a correct assessment the nurse should perform to prevent harm in the client with a sodium of 118 mEq/L.

Choice E reason: Abdominal pain is unrelated to hyponatremia, which primarily affects the brain and fluid balance. Monitoring urine output is more relevant, making this incorrect, as it’s not a priority assessment for the nurse to prevent harm in the hyponatremic client.

Choice F reason: Fever may indicate infection but isn’t directly linked to hyponatremia’s neurological risks. Assessing cognition is critical, making this incorrect, as it’s less urgent than the nurse’s focus on preventing harm from severe hyponatremia’s neurological complications.