While covering for a colleague on a general medical unit, a nurse receives requests to evaluate four different clients. Which client must the nurse attend to first?
- A client with a right leg deep vein thrombosis who suddenly reports shortness of breath and pleuritic chest painCevap
- BA client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who is resting in bed with an oxygen saturation of 91%
- CA client with a history of heart failure who has 2+ bilateral pitting edema in the lower extremities
- DA client who is one day post-appendectomy requesting oral medication for surgical site pain rated 4 on a 0 to 10 scale
Cevap
The client with a deep vein thrombosis reporting sudden shortness of breath and pleuritic chest pain.
This client is exhibiting classic signs of a pulmonary embolism, a life-threatening acute complication of a deep vein thrombosis. Sudden shortness of breath and chest pain indicate an immediate threat to airway, breathing, and circulation, making this the highest clinical priority.
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Anahtar Kavram
Prioritization: ABCs and Acute vs. Chronic