Adult Health Nursing Quizlet Final

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Cardiogenic shock is a life-threatening condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's demands. Monitoring the patient's cardiac index, which is a measure of cardiac output adjusted for body surface area, can help detect the risk of developing cardiogenic shock. A decrease in cardiac index would indicate a decrease in the heart's ability to effectively pump blood, putting the patient at risk for cardiogenic shock. Monitoring cardiac index is essential in assessing cardiac function and guiding interventions to prevent the progression to cardiogenic shock. The other factors listed may provide important information in assessing the patient's condition, but specifically in detecting the risk of developing cardiogenic shock, monitoring the cardiac index is crucial.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: When discharging a suicidal patient who has been taking tricyclic antidepressant drugs, it is crucial for the nurse to evaluate the risk for suicide by overdose of the medication. Tricyclic antidepressants have a narrow therapeutic index, meaning that the difference between a therapeutic dose and a toxic dose can be quite small. This makes them particularly dangerous in cases of overdose, as they can lead to severe toxic effects, including cardiac arrhythmias, seizures, and death.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The clinical presentation of a patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) presenting with weakness, anorexia, confusion, severe anemia, low reticulocyte count, elevated serum creatinine, and decreased erythropoietin levels is most consistent with renal failure-associated anemia. In CKD, the kidneys are unable to produce adequate amounts of erythropoietin, a hormone responsible for stimulating red blood cell production in the bone marrow. The decreased erythropoietin levels lead to a state of anemia, characterized by low hemoglobin levels and subsequent symptoms of fatigue and weakness. The anemia in renal failure is typically normocytic and normochromic. Additionally, the elevated serum creatinine in this patient is a hallmark of kidney dysfunction.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Complete abortion is the most likely cause of the symptoms described. In a complete abortion, all products of conception are expelled from the uterus. Symptoms include vaginal bleeding, passage of tissue, and dilation of the cervix. In this scenario, the presentation of a dilated cervix with visualized products of conception is classic for a complete abortion at 10 weeks gestation.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Respiratory depression resulting from drug overdose typically leads to a decrease in the respiratory rate, known as bradypnea. This is characterized by abnormally slow breathing, which can be dangerous as it may lead to decreased oxygen levels in the blood. Bradypnea indicates a slowing down of the respiratory drive, in contrast to hyperventilation, biot's respiration, or tachypnea. It is crucial for the nurse to monitor a patient experiencing respiratory depression for signs of bradypnea and intervene promptly to prevent further complications.