A nurse is assisting with the care of a client. Complete the following sentence by using the lists of options. After notifying the provider, the nurse should first ______ and then _______
Explanation & Rationale
request a prescription for an increase in statin medication: Although the client's total cholesterol is elevated at 230 mg/dL, adjusting lipid management is not the immediate priority during an acute chest pain episode. The immediate focus should be stabilizing airway, breathing, and circulation. prepare the client for cardiac catheterization: Cardiac catheterization may ultimately be needed to assess coronary artery blockages, but before this, the client must be stabilized with oxygen and medications to control chest pain and improve oxygenation. administer oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula: The client’s oxygen saturation dropped to 92% on room air, which is low for someone experiencing chest pain and possible myocardial ischemia. Administering supplemental oxygen improves myocardial oxygen supply and reduces cardiac workload, addressing airway and breathing priorities. check a STAT cardiac troponin: The client’s initial troponin level was normal, but troponin can take several hours to rise after myocardial injury. While monitoring serial troponins is important, managing oxygenation and chest pain relief takes precedence right now. administer sublingual nitroglycerin: After ensuring oxygenation, sublingual nitroglycerin should be administered to relieve chest pain by dilating coronary arteries and decreasing myocardial oxygen demand. It helps reduce ischemia and may prevent further cardiac injury. request a prescription for a beta-blocker: Beta-blockers help control heart rate and blood pressure but are not the immediate first-line response for active chest pain and oxygen desaturation. Oxygen and nitroglycerin must be prioritized first to address the acute ischemic event.