Help I have the hardest time

Nurses LPN/LVN

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Specializes in cna so far.

I seem to have a problem with priority setting, I am working on a case study in which a fetal heart rate drops after administration of Demerol and I am supposed to prioritize. I know that the medication should be stopped and oxygen should be administered but what I don't understand is which to do first. My initial thought was to stop the infusion but then I thought ABC's. Not really sure which to choose does anyone have any clues that could help me out? PLEASE!

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Are you saying the labouring mother is receiving a Demerol drip?

Demerol is for pain control (and highly ineffective during labour from personal experience). I've seen it given IM and PO.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Is it being given IVP? I don't know that I've ever heard of Demerol being infused via IV. You'll have to stop the IVP in order to free your hands up to start the O2, so that answers that part of the question for you...

I seem to have a problem with priority setting, I am working on a case study in which a fetal heart rate drops after administration of Demerol and I am supposed to prioritize. I know that the medication should be stopped and oxygen should be administered but what I don't understand is which to do first. My initial thought was to stop the infusion but then I thought ABC's. Not really sure which to choose does anyone have any clues that could help me out? PLEASE!
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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Infusion of what drip?

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I seem to have a problem with priority setting I am working on a case study in which a fetal heart rate drops after administration of Demerol and I am supposed to prioritize. I know that the medication should be stopped and oxygen should be administered but what I don't understand is which to do first. My initial thought was to stop the infusion but then I thought ABC's. Not really sure which to choose does anyone have any clues that could help me out? PLEASE![/quote']

You would stop the medication FIRST. All your efforts won't matter if the factor causing the heart rate to drop is still being given! (Otherwise the heart rate will continue to drop) Then you would supply oxygen. If the patient is having a reaction to anything(medication, blood, etc.) your priority is to stop what infusing whatever it is that is causing a reaction.

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