I have a few questions I really need help with 3/6/09

expo4u · Mar 6, 2009

Think abc and what is normal vs and what is abnormal and what would make it that way.

allnurses Guide · Mar 7, 2009

If you can't find the answer in your medsurg book by looking up pneumonia, try looking up information on each of the answers.

LovingLearning · Mar 7, 2009

Hello everyone,
We did this assignment that the teacher gave us and I was stumped on some questions. I can not find these answers anywhere, and the teacher is not going to give us the answers. I was wondering if anyone knew and would help me out.
Thanks,
~L
If a patient has pneumonia and becomes restless: vital signs are T 100F, P 110, RR 28, BP 130/72, what should you suspect?
A. Fluid volume excess
B. dehydration
C. excess potassium
D. hypoxemia.
The usual dietary recommendations for a cardiac patient includes
A. no more that 10% saturated fats
B. low fiber and carbohydrates
C. Sodium restricted to 1G/Day
D. 20% less of total fat intake
A nurse should be alert to complaints of decreased exercise tolerance and dyspnea in African American males because they are at risk for
A. Hypertension
B. Cardiomyopathy
C. Endocarditis
D. Mitral Valve Stenosis

She's not going to help you because you need to learn how to break down a question...I'm learning that, too.

1. If a patient has pneumonia and becomes restless: vital signs are T 100F, P 110, RR 28, BP 130/72, what should you suspect?

O.K., let's see. Pt has a fever, is tachycardic, resp are high, BP a little elevated. So what's going on?

Look at your NANDA dx book, and look up the diagnoses. Match the symptoms to the characteristics, and you can narrow it down. Then, consider the airway, breathing, circulation issues; choose the one which deals with those both, and I'll bet it's the answer.

2. The usual dietary recommendations for a cardiac patient includes?

Break this down, too. What is the biggest issue with cardiac patients? Which diet is best for them? In your medsurg book, look at cardiac diet, low sodium diet, low fat diet, and see which one appears best. Then, look at your nutrition section in your text, and determine which would be best for a cardiac patient. Between those two sections, you should be able to figure out the answer.

3. A nurse should be alert to complaints of decreased exercise tolerance and dyspnea in African American males because they are at risk for ?

If you really can't figure out the answer, look at the recent billboards peppering most cities. This illness has a higher constituency of African Americans, and is on the rise. What do you nearly almost always find as a co-diagnoses on the Kardex? Another way to look at the question is to once again, hit the text. Which one of these illnesses causes both of those symptoms, and appears in the African American population more often?

What the instructor is asking you to do is learn about the s/s of the illnesses, and learn your NANDA dxs, and then apply that to the questions. I'm going to give a wild guess and say that what she wants from you isn't guessing, but to start putting 2+2 together and coming up with 4. It's not easy, but if you break it down and do the research, and then apply the nursing process and critical thinking skills, you'll come up with a good answer, and be able to justify your choices (give a good rationale).

Good luck!

Best-

Lovin' Learning

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2009

my choices:

if a patient has pneumonia and becomes restless: vital signs are t 100f, p 110, rr 28, bp 130/72, what should you suspect?

a. fluid volume excess

b. dehydration

c. excess potassium

d. hypoxemia

.

the usual dietary recommendations for a cardiac patient includes

a. no more that 10% saturated fats

b. low fiber and carbohydrates

c. sodium restricted to 1g/day

d. 20% less of total fat intake

a nurse should be alert to complaints of decreased exercise tolerance and dyspnea in african american males because they are at risk for

a. hypertension

b. cardiomyopathy

c. endocarditis

d. mitral valve stenosis

hlwood08 · Mar 7, 2009

I really appreciate the help. I wasn't able to find them in my book, and the teacher was not going to help up with the answers and I didn't want to learn the wrong things. I like to know the right answers and then do the research on why.

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2009

RR of 28 is really high, and the pt was slightly tachy. That was a big clue with the first one.

If you looked up the s/s of pneumonia, hypoxemia would be there.

The high RR and pulse indicate hypoxemia, and pneumonia is in the lungs.

cursedandblessed · Mar 8, 2009

Well the first one I knew because of the restlessness, they've been drilling that one into our heads.

allnurses Guide · Mar 8, 2009

1. Hypoxia - the HR is increased because the tissues can't get enough oxygen due to pneumonia, so the heart goes faster to try and pump more blood and oxygen to the tissues. You can rule out dehydration, because of the normal-high BP. You can rule out fluid volume excess because they have a high HR which is usually a sign of dehydration, and they have a fever which tends to dehydrate. Cerebral hypoxia causes restlessness. Plus, pneumonia affects your lungs = impaired oxygenation.

2. Low sodium diet -> less fluid retention. The main problem with heart failure is that your heart can't pump properly. Fluid collects in ankles, lungs, liver etc. Fluid and Na restriction reduce this.