You are a RN working in a busy Emergency Department (ED) caring for a patient with a stage 3 pressure injury of the right hip that is warm, and has purulent drainage. The ED physician orders an intermittent IV piggyback of the antibiotic Gentamycin to be started. What should you do prior to starting the infusion? Select the BEST answer.

A. This statement is not typically related to rheumatoid arthritis. RA does not cause low blood sugar directly. While medications or other conditions might affect blood sugar levels, this is not a common symptom or concern specific to RA.
B. Morning stiffness is a hallmark symptom of rheumatoid arthritis. Patients often report increased stiffness and discomfort in their joints upon waking, which can improve with activity throughout the day.
C. While some individuals might gain weight due to reduced physical activity or medication side effects (like corticosteroids), weight loss is also common due to pain and decreased mobility. Thus, this statement is not universally applicable.
D. Abdominal pain is not a primary symptom of RA. However, certain medications used to treat RA, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, but this is not a direct result of the disease itself.

A. Trauma can cause an elevated WBC count as part of the body’s response to injury. The immune system reacts to tissue damage by increasing WBC production to facilitate healing and fight potential infections.
B. Hyperglycemia itself does not directly cause an elevated WBC count. However, it may be associated with conditions like diabetes, where infections are more common. Therefore, while hyperglycemia can occur concurrently with elevated WBC counts, it is not a direct cause of the increase.
C. Infection is one of the most common causes of an elevated WBC count. The body responds to infections (bacterial, viral, etc.) by increasing WBC production to help combat the invading pathogens.
D. Inflammation, whether due to autoimmune conditions, allergies, or other causes, can also lead to an increase in WBC count. The inflammatory process triggers the immune response, resulting in elevated levels of white blood cells.
E. While steroid injections can influence WBC counts, they often cause a redistribution of white blood cells rather than an increase in production. Corticosteroids can cause a decrease in certain types of white blood cells (like lymphocytes) but may increase neutrophils due to a release from the bone marrow.