A nurse has the order to begin administering warfarin sodium (Coumadin) to a client. While implementing this order, the nurse ensures that which of the following medications is available on the nursing unit as the antidote for Coumadin?
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Solution
Vitamin K
The antidote to warfarin (Coumadin) is Vitamin K and should be readily available for use if excessive bleeding or hemorrhage should occur.
A client who has been receiving heparin therapy also is started on warfarin sodium (coumadin). The client asks the nurse why both medications are being administered. In formulating a response, the nurse incorporates the understanding that warfarin sodium:
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Solution
Inhibits synthesis of specific clotting factors in the liver, and it takes 3 to 4 days for this medication to exert an anticoagulation effect.
Warfarin sodium works in the liver and inhibits synthesis of four vitamin K-dependent clotting factors (X, IX, VII, and II), but it takes 3 to 4 days before the therapeutic effect of warfarin is exhibited.
Intravenous heparin therapy is ordered for a client. While implementing this order, a nurse ensures that which of the following medications is available on the nursing unit?
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Solution
Protamine sulfate
The antidote to heparin is protamine sulfate and should be readily available for use if excessive bleeding or hemorrhage should occur
A 24-year old man seeks medical attention for complaints of claudication in the arch of the foot. A nurse also notes superficial thrombophlebitis of the lower leg. The nurse would next assess the client for:
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Solution
Smoking history
The mixture of arterial and venous manifestations (claudication and phlebitis, respectively) in the young male client suggests Buerger’s disease. This is an uncommon disorder characterized by inflammation and thrombosis of smaller arteries and veins. This disorder typically is found in young adult males who smoke. The cause is not known precisely but is suspected to have an autoimmune component.
Mike, a 43-year old construction worker, has a history of hypertension. He smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, is nervous about the possibility of being unemployed, and has difficulty coping with stress. His current concern is calf pain during minimal exercise that decreased with rest. The nurse assesses Mike’s symptoms as being associated with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. The nursing diagnosis is probably:
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Solution
Alteration in tissue perfusion related to compromised circulation
When caring for a patient who has started anticoagulant therapy with warfarin (Coumadin), the nurse knows not to expect therapeutic benefits for:
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Solution
2-3 days
A significant cause of venous thrombosis is:
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Solution
All of the above
Buerger’s disease is characterized by all of the following except:
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Solution
Lipid deposits in the arteries
With peripheral arterial insufficiency, leg pain during rest can be reduced by:
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Solution
Lowering the limb so it is dependent
The most important factor in regulating the caliber of blood vessels, which determines resistance to flow, is:
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Solution
The sympathetic nervous system