Question

a nurse is caring for a group of clients the nurse should obtain a blood pressure reading using only the left extremity from which of the following patients?

a. a patient who has left sided bells palsy

b. a patient who has a peripherally inserted central catheter in the left arm

c. a patient who has right sided weakness due to parkinson's disease

d. a client who has a right upper extremity arteriovenous fistula

Answer 1

The correct answer is (d). The client who has a right upper extremity arteriovenous fistula. This is because whenever a patient has a AV fistula on the right extremity, the nurse should avoid taking blood pressure readings or drawing blood from that side. This leaves the nurse with the left extremity only. Hence, she will take the blood pressure readings from the left extremity.

Option (a) is incorrect because left sided bells palsy is a facial paralysis where the patient is unable to control the facial muscle. Here, the nurse can take the blood pressure readings from both sides.

Option (b) is also incorrect. This is because in this case the patient has the catheter in his left arm only.

Option (c) is also incorrect because a right sided weakness due to Parkinson's disease is a nervous system disorder which might lead to tremors in one hand. This disorder does not prevent the nurse from taking blood pressure reading from either hand.

Hence, option (d) is correct.