Your spinal cord injury (SCI) patient complains of a throbbing headache and nausea. You observe the patient has marked diaphoresis, and you think the patient may have autonomic dysreflexia. Place the following interventions in the order you would complete them.

Choice A reason: Monitoring the patient for shortness of breath or chest pain during the transfusion is a critical task that requires nursing judgment and immediate intervention if complications arise. It is not appropriate to delegate this task to unlicensed assistive personnel.

Choice B reason: Obtaining the patient's temperature and blood pressure before the transfusion is a task that can be safely delegated to nursing assistants. This task does not require the clinical judgment of a licensed nurse and is within the scope of practice for unlicensed assistive personnel.

Choice C reason: Double-checking the product numbers on the PRBCs with the patient ID band is a crucial safety step that must be performed by licensed nursing staff. This task ensures the correct blood product is given to the correct patient and involves verification that cannot be delegated to unlicensed personnel.

Choice A reason: While elevated bilirubin levels can indicate liver dysfunction and lead to jaundice, they are not the primary cause of hepatic coma. Bilirubin is a byproduct of red blood cell breakdown and its accumulation can cause yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Choice B reason: Calcium levels, whether high or low, can affect neuromuscular function and cardiac health, but they are not directly associated with causing hepatic coma. Hypercalcemia or hypocalcemia can present with various symptoms, but not typically with hepatic coma.

Choice C reason: Elevated ammonia levels are directly associated with hepatic coma. In patients with severe liver dysfunction, the liver cannot efficiently convert ammonia (a byproduct of protein metabolism) into urea for excretion. The accumulation of ammonia in the blood can cross the blood-brain barrier and lead to encephalopathy, resulting in confusion, altered mental status, and potentially hepatic coma.

Choice D reason: Sodium levels can affect neurological function, particularly with conditions like hypernatremia or hyponatremia. However, these imbalances are not the primary cause of hepatic coma. The direct link to hepatic coma is through elevated ammonia levels.