NurseScholar

Thanks to all who replied.

but as the cast is a lower leg cast, shouldn't it by definition enclose the foot leaving only the toes? we didn't really cover much regarding cast application but would you be able to slide your fingers far enough under the cast to assess the pedal pulse? i am posting this on behalf of a peer. i never made the association myself regarding the lower leg cast enclosing the foot and just realized that the instructor was asking for the 5 p's. thank you so much for the quick response.

my class had a question on a recent exam. the stem read: when assessing a patient with a lower leg cast the nurse should assess? check all that apply. the answer choices were: pulse, pallor, paresis, parathesia, and pain (also known as the 5 p's) i checked all of the answers, as i recognized that she was asking for all five of the p's and received full credit for the question, but a fellow student did not check pulse and missed the question. the student articulated that you could not check a pulse through a cast while on a lower leg as all lower leg casts wrap around the foot for support. the instructor refused to give her credit. the instructor said that she did not tell in the stem whether or not the foot was enclosed, but it is my understanding that all lower leg casts enclose the foot and maintain the foot at a 90 degree angle. what do you think? can you check a pulse with a lower leg cast? thanks in advance.

it does. saliva contains lysozyme, an enzyme that kills bacteria by destroying the cell wall. one of my nursing professors taught that before the development of antibiotics dogs were brought onto the battlefield during times of war to lick the wounds of injured soldiers in an attempt to prevent infection...

thank you all for your assistance.

today while studying the ati my study group had difficulties answering the following question: chest tube insertion following thoracic surgery. assess chest tube drainage system. which finding needs immediate further action? -fluctuation of drainage in the tubing with inspiration -drainage of 75ml in the 1st hour after surgery -continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber -several small dark red blood clots in the tubing. any thought as to the correct answer and your rationale would be greatly appreciated. i chose #2 and #3 which are both incorrect according to the ati. my thought was that answer 2 (drainage of 75ml) might be indicative of hemorrhage as my instructor told the class that fluid drainage in a chest tube that is in excess of 75-100ml/hr may indicate hemorrhage. what nursing interventions would you implement after assessing that your patient may have a free bleed? would you just notify the pcp or are there any other prudent measures you might take to slow the bleeding? and can someone please explain diaphragmatic breathing as related to patient teaching, in other words what is it and how would you teach it to your patient? thanks! !!

I am currently finishing my OB rotation and experienced no alternative treatment. The only assesment skill that I could not perform were SVE (sterile lady partsl exams) which is the policy of the school (male and female students alike). I must admit that i had concerns going into the OB rotation regarding fair learning oppourtunities but have experienced in some regards a better learning environment than some of my female peers (i witnessed the most births and experienced more specialty rotations).