A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is experiencing severe dyspnea. What position should the nurse encourage the patient to assume?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: High Fowler's. This position helps improve lung expansion and breathing efficiency by maximizing chest expansion. Sitting upright reduces pressure on the diaphragm, allowing for better ventilation. Supine (A) position can worsen dyspnea by restricting lung expansion. Prone (B) position is not ideal for COPD patients as it can hinder breathing. Trendelenburg (D) position, where the patient's feet are elevated above the head, can increase pressure on the diaphragm and impair breathing, making it inappropriate for a patient experiencing severe dyspnea.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Have the patient void immediately before the procedure. This step is crucial to prevent accidental puncture of the bladder during paracentesis. Voiding helps empty the bladder, reducing the risk of injury and ensuring a safer procedure. Incorrect choices: B: Position the patient flat in bed - Incorrect, as the patient should be in a sitting position with legs dangling over the side of the bed during the procedure. C: Administer a full liquid diet - Incorrect, as a full liquid diet is not necessary for paracentesis preparation. D: Encourage the patient to ambulate for 30 minutes - Incorrect, as ambulation is not relevant to preparing for paracentesis.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Take the medication in the morning on an empty stomach. Levothyroxine should be taken on an empty stomach, preferably 30 minutes to 1 hour before breakfast, to ensure optimal absorption. Food can interfere with absorption, so taking it with meals (choice A) is not recommended. Discontinuing the medication if feeling better (choice C) is dangerous as it can lead to a relapse of hypothyroidism. Doubling the dose if a dose is missed (choice D) can result in overdose and adverse effects. Therefore, choice B is the best option for optimal effectiveness of levothyroxine therapy.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The primary reason for administering morphine to a patient with MI is to reduce cardiac workload. Morphine acts as a vasodilator and decreases preload and afterload on the heart, reducing myocardial oxygen demand. This helps to improve coronary blood flow and decrease the workload on the heart muscle, which is crucial in the setting of an MI. Explanation for other choices: A: While morphine can help reduce pain in MI, the primary reason for administering it is to reduce cardiac workload. B: Morphine may have a calming effect, but the primary goal is to reduce cardiac workload. D: Morphine can actually decrease respiratory rate as a side effect, making this choice incorrect.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Partial thromboplastin time (PTT). PTT is used to monitor the effectiveness of heparin therapy because heparin primarily affects the intrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade, which is reflected in the PTT results. Monitoring PTT helps to ensure that the patient's blood is within the therapeutic range for anticoagulation. A: Prothrombin time (PT) is used to monitor warfarin therapy, which affects the extrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade. C: Bleeding time is not typically used to monitor heparin therapy effectiveness. D: Platelet count is important to monitor for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, but it does not directly reflect the effectiveness of heparin therapy in preventing or treating DVT.