The patient is experiencing V-Tach with a pulse and presents with a blood pressure of 70/42, mental status changes, and is clammy and pale. The RN prepares the patient for which of the following?

A. Obtain a blood sample: While laboratory tests may help identify underlying causes of ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach), obtaining a blood sample is not an immediate priority in a patient who is hemodynamically unstable. The patient’s low blood pressure, altered mental status, and signs of poor perfusion require urgent intervention to restore cardiac output.

B. Synchronized cardioversion: Synchronized cardioversion is the treatment of choice for a patient with pulsed V-Tach who is hemodynamically unstable, as evidenced by hypotension, altered mental status, and signs of shock. The procedure delivers a timed electrical shock that resets the heart’s rhythm while minimizing the risk of inducing ventricular fibrillation.

C. Defibrillation: Defibrillation is reserved for pulseless V-Tach or ventricular fibrillation. In this scenario, the patient still has a pulse, so immediate defibrillation is not appropriate. Using defibrillation on a pulsed patient could be harmful, whereas synchronized cardioversion is specifically indicated for unstable but pulsing arrhythmias.

D. CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is indicated when a patient has no pulse and is in cardiac arrest. Since this patient is still pulsing, initiating CPR would not address the underlying arrhythmia effectively and could delay definitive treatment, which in this case is synchronized cardioversion.