A nurse is caring for a client who has heart failure and has been taking digoxin 0.25 mg daily. The client refuses breakfast and reports nausea. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
Suggest that the client rests before eating the meal.
Check the client's vital signs.
Request a dietary consult.
Request an order for an antiemetic.
The Correct Answer is B
A. Suggest that the client rests before eating the meal. Although rest can help with nausea, it does not address the potential issue of digoxin toxicity, which can cause nausea.
B. Check the client's vital signs. Checking vital signs, especially heart rate, is the priority because nausea can indicate digoxin toxicity, which affects heart function.
C. Request a dietary consult. A dietary consult may be helpful if the client continues to refuse meals, but it does not address the immediate potential for digoxin toxicity.
D. Request an order for an antiemetic. Although an antiemetic may help with nausea, assessing for toxicity takes priority.
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Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Shortness of breath while lying down. Shortness of breath when lying down, or orthopnea, is common in left-sided heart failure due to fluid backing up into the lungs, causing pulmonary congestion.
B. Jugular venous distention. Jugular venous distention is more commonly associated with right-sided heart failure due to systemic venous congestion.
C. Right upper quadrant pain. Right upper quadrant pain is associated with liver congestion due to right-sided heart failure, not left-sided heart failure.
D. Pitting edema of the lower legs. Pitting edema is a symptom of right-sided heart failure, as fluid backs up into the peripheral circulation.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) test: While CK-MB is also a marker of myocardial injury, it is less specific than troponin and can be elevated in other conditions, such as muscle injury.
B. Troponin T test. The Troponin T test is highly specific and sensitive for myocardial injury and is considered the gold standard for diagnosing a myocardial infarction. Troponin levels rise within hours of cardiac muscle injury and remain elevated for days, providing an early and reliable indicator of cardiac muscle damage.
C. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) test. BNP levels are used to assess heart failure and do not indicate acute cardiac muscle injury.
D. Creatine kinase (CK) test. CK measures overall muscle injury, not specific to cardiac muscle.