In: Nursing
Carl Shapiro is a 54-year-old male who travels frequently. He was seen in the Emergency Department at 1:30 p.m. for complaints of chest pain, diaphoresis, and shortness of breath. He was treated in the Emergency Department with aspirin and two doses of sublingual nitroglycerin. Chest pain improved with nitroglycerin administration. IV infusion of normal saline was started in the Emergency Department and is running at 25 mL/hour. Ordered lab values are pending. Provider wants to be called as soon as the labs are available. Patient is receiving oxygen at 4 L/min with SpO2 values at 97%. Chest pain was last rated as a "0" following second nitroglycerin dose and nitroglycerine patch 0.4 mg. He has been admitted to the Telemetry Unit.
Pt#2
Skyler Hansen is an 18-year-old male diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 6 months ago. He was brought to the Emergency Department by his friends. The friends report that he started acting "weird" while they were playing basketball. He has not eaten anything for 5 hours. Skyler told them that he felt lightheaded and was going to lie down on the cement. They became nervous and decided to bring him in to the Emergency Department. The patient is drowsy, wakes with stimulus, has slurred speech, is diaphoretic, and is acting irrationally
Pt#3
Doris Bowman is a 39-year-old female patient who underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy with general anesthesia. Patient tolerated the procedure without complications. She has an abdominal incision covered with a 4 × 4 gauze dressing with no drainage noted. IV of potassium chloride in 5% dextrose and normal saline is infusing at 125 mL/hr. Estimated blood loss was 400 mL. She was extubated in the operating room and is breathing spontaneously at 21 breaths per minute. Blood pressure is stable at 154/92. She has a Foley catheter placed with 200 mL urine output and compression stockings have been applied.
Questions
In what ways are the patients similar?
In what ways would their nursing care be similar?
In what ways are the 3 patients different?
How would their care be different? Why?