ATI RN
Basic Post-Operative Care of a Patient Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is prescreening a surgical patient in the preadmission testing unit. The medication history indicates that the patient is currently taking an anticoagulant. Which action should the nurse take when consulting with the health care provider?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Ask for an international normalized ratio (INR). Rationale: 1. Anticoagulants can affect blood clotting, so monitoring the patient's INR level is crucial to assess their clotting ability. 2. INR measures the effectiveness of anticoagulant therapy and helps determine if the patient's blood is clotting appropriately. 3. This information is essential for determining the patient's risk of bleeding during surgery. Summary of Other Choices: A: Asking for a radiological examination of the chest is not directly related to the patient's anticoagulant therapy and surgical preparation. C: Asking for a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test is not relevant to monitoring the effects of anticoagulants. D: Asking for a serum sodium (Na) test is not necessary for monitoring anticoagulant therapy in this context.
Question 2 of 5
While assisting a full-term pregnant female in delivering her newborn, at what point should the paramedic consider suctioning the infant's nose and mouth?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: When the newborn's head is delivered. Suctioning should be done at this point to clear the airway of any fluids or mucus that could obstruct breathing. It is crucial to suction promptly to ensure the newborn's airway is clear for effective breathing. Choice A is incorrect because meconium staining alone is not the sole indicator for suctioning. Choice C is incorrect as delaying suctioning until after the entire delivery can lead to potential airway obstruction. Choice D is incorrect as drying and stimulating the newborn should follow suctioning to ensure a clear airway and proper breathing.
Question 3 of 5
Your 23-year-old diabetic patient was found unresponsive with increased respirations, hypotension, and bradycardia. Family members state he recently had a tooth pulled and was prescribed Vicodin. Which of the following is most likely to cause the patient's presentation?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Narcotic overdose. The patient's presentation of increased respirations, hypotension, and bradycardia is consistent with opioid overdose. Opioids such as Vicodin can cause respiratory depression leading to increased respirations, hypotension, and bradycardia. In contrast, myasthenia gravis would present with muscle weakness, metabolic alkalosis is unlikely to present with this combination of symptoms, and ketoacidosis is more commonly associated with uncontrolled diabetes rather than opioid overdose. Therefore, a narcotic overdose is the most likely cause of the patient's presentation.
Question 4 of 5
You are on-scene with a 40-year-old patient with an extensive cardiac history for his age. Today, he is complaining of chest pain that radiates to his jaw and left arm. His vital signs are stable; however, once on the cardiac monitor, he exhibits ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVf. With the EKG finding, which of the following should you suspect?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: An inferior wall myocardial infarction. The ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVf indicates involvement of the inferior wall of the heart. This pattern is classic for an inferior wall MI. The chest pain radiating to the jaw and left arm is also suggestive of cardiac origin. Aortic dissection typically presents with severe tearing or ripping chest pain and may have unequal blood pressure in the arms. Pulmonary embolism usually presents with sudden-onset dyspnea and chest pain, often worsened by deep breathing or coughing. A septal wall MI would typically present with ST elevation in leads V1-V2.
Question 5 of 5
You are on-scene with a patient who was struck by a car on her bicycle. She is conscious and alert but has a possible closed right mid-shaft femur fracture. The patient advises you that she is sixteen but does not need parental consent to be treated. Which of the following situations would make this statement true?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: She is an emancipated minor granted by the court. An emancipated minor is legally considered an adult and can make medical decisions without parental consent. This situation would make the statement true because an emancipated minor has the legal authority to consent to their own treatment. Rationale: 1. Emancipated minors are legally recognized as adults in terms of making medical decisions. 2. Emancipation grants the minor the right to make healthcare choices independently. 3. In this scenario, the patient being an emancipated minor means she can consent to treatment without involving her parents. Summary of other choices: A: Implied consent does not apply in this scenario as the patient is conscious and alert, and the injury is not immediately life-threatening. B: Immigration status is not relevant to the patient's ability to consent to treatment without parental consent. D: Being an orphaned minor does not automatically grant the ability to consent to treatment without parental consent.