Which nursing intervention is highest priority for the client who has suffered an acute anterior wall mycordial infarction?
Maintaining strict bedrest for first 24 hours
Measuring urine output hourly and performing daily weighs
Keeping the environment quiet to decrease cardiac workload
Reducing oxygen demand and providing pain control
The Correct Answer is D
A) Maintaining strict bedrest for first 24 hours:
While bedrest is often recommended in the early stages following a myocardial infarction (MI), the priority nursing intervention is to reduce oxygen demand on the heart, which can be achieved through pain management and controlling the workload on the heart, rather than solely relying on bedrest. Bedrest alone may not address the underlying physiological needs of the heart, such as reducing ischemia or controlling pain.
B) Measuring urine output hourly and performing daily weights:
Monitoring urine output and performing daily weights are important in managing fluid balance, especially for those with heart failure or volume overload. However, in the acute phase of an anterior wall myocardial infarction, the priority intervention is addressing the oxygen demand on the heart and providing pain relief, which is more immediate in stabilizing the client and reducing myocardial injury.
C) Keeping the environment quiet to decrease cardiac workload:
While creating a calm and quiet environment helps in reducing stress and decreasing cardiac workload, it is still secondary to actively managing the oxygen demand of the heart. Decreasing the workload of the heart is essential, but this is done more effectively through interventions such as pain management, oxygen therapy, and medications that reduce myocardial oxygen demand (e.g., nitroglycerin, beta-blockers).
D) Reducing oxygen demand and providing pain control:
This is the highest priority intervention for a client who has suffered an acute anterior wall myocardial infarction (MI). Pain from an MI increases the heart's oxygen demand and can exacerbate ischemia. Pain relief, often with morphine, not only reduces pain but also helps in vasodilation, reducing the heart's workload. Additionally, oxygen therapy should be given to ensure adequate oxygenation, and medications like beta-blockers, nitroglycerin, and ACE inhibitors are used to reduce the workload of the heart.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A) Notify the primary care provider with increased urine output
Increased urine output is not directly related to signs or symptoms of infection associated with a tunneled IV catheter, such as a Hickman catheter. While changes in urinary output might indicate renal or other systemic issues, they do not signal a local infection at the insertion site.
B) Assess daily for redness, swelling, or exudate at insertion site weekly
One of the most common complications of a tunneled IV catheter, such as a Hickman, is infection at the insertion site or along the catheter tract. The nurse should instruct the patient to monitor for signs of infection, including redness, swelling, and exudate (pus or drainage) at the insertion site. These signs suggest possible infection, and early detection is critical to preventing more serious complications like sepsis.
C) The primary care provider will monitor hemoglobin and hematocrit values
While monitoring hemoglobin and hematocrit values is important for assessing overall health and blood status, it is not specifically related to monitoring for infection in a client with a tunneled IV catheter. Hemoglobin and hematocrit can provide information about anemia or dehydration but do not directly indicate an infection at the insertion site.
D) To maintain patency, the catheter should be flushed weekly using a 5ml syringe
Although flushing a tunneled IV catheter to maintain patency is important, this response does not directly address infection prevention, which is the focus of the question. Typically, a catheter should be flushed as per specific guidelines (which may include daily or weekly flushing, depending on the clinical setting).
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A) Clubbing of the fingers
Clubbing of the fingers is typically associated with chronic hypoxia, often due to conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congenital heart defects, or chronic respiratory disorders. While mitral valve stenosis can lead to pulmonary congestion and sometimes hypoxia, clubbing is not a hallmark finding of mitral valve stenosis.
B) A heart murmur
Mitral valve stenosis is commonly characterized by a heart murmur. The stenosis (narrowing) of the mitral valve obstructs blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle, leading to turbulent blood flow. This creates a characteristic diastolic murmur (a low-pitched, rumbling murmur heard best at the apex of the heart with the patient in the left lateral decubitus position).
C) Barrel chest
A barrel chest is more commonly associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and other conditions that cause long-term hyperinflation of the lungs. It is not a typical finding in mitral valve stenosis. The shape of the chest may change over time in patients with severe left-sided heart failure, but this is not a primary or direct consequence of mitral valve stenosis.
D) Bradycardia
Bradycardia (a slow heart rate) is not a characteristic finding of mitral valve stenosis. In fact, mitral valve stenosis can lead to increased heart rates due to reduced cardiac output and compensatory mechanisms. As the left atrium becomes increasingly distended from the obstruction, atrial fibrillation (a rapid, irregular heartbeat) is common in mitral valve stenosis.
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