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Medical Surgical HESI
1. The nurse is caring for a client with a suspected stroke. Which assessment finding is most indicative of a stroke?
- A. Chest pain
- B. Sudden confusion and difficulty speaking
- C. Gradual onset of weakness in the legs
- D. Nausea and vomiting
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Sudden confusion and difficulty speaking. These are classic signs of a stroke, indicating a neurological deficit that requires urgent medical attention. Choices A, C, and D are less indicative of a stroke. Chest pain is more commonly associated with cardiac issues, gradual onset of weakness in the legs could be related to other conditions like peripheral neuropathy, and nausea/vomiting may suggest gastrointestinal problems rather than a stroke.
2. An older adult woman with a long history of COPD is admitted with progressive shortness of breath and a persistent cough, is anxious, and is complaining of dry mouth. Which intervention should the nurse implement?
- A. Administer a prescribed sedative
- B. Encourage client to drink water
- C. Apply a high flow venturi mask
- D. Assist her to an upright position
Correct answer: D
Rationale: Assisting the client to an upright position is the most appropriate intervention in this situation. Placing the client upright helps improve lung expansion by reducing diaphragmatic pressure, facilitating better air exchange, and increasing oxygenation. This position also aids in easing breathing efforts. Administering a sedative (Choice A) may further depress the respiratory system, worsening the breathing problem. Encouraging the client to drink water (Choice B) may not directly address the respiratory distress caused by COPD. Applying a high flow venturi mask (Choice C) may be beneficial in some cases but assisting the client to an upright position should be the priority to optimize respiratory function.
3. When performing an assessment of a child with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP), what symptom is the child most likely to experience?
- A. Increased temperature
- B. Constipation
- C. Right quadrant pain
- D. Exercise-associated pain
Correct answer: B
Rationale: When assessing a child with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP), constipation is a common symptom. Children with RAP often experience periumbilical pain that is unrelated to eating, defecation, or exercise. While increased temperature, right quadrant pain, and exercise-associated pain can occur in various conditions, they are not typically associated with RAP in children.
4. When conducting a class for parents about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the nurse instructs the class that the infant should be placed in which position to sleep?
- A. Right side-lying
- B. Left side-lying
- C. Prone
- D. Supine
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D, supine. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing infants on their back, or supine, to sleep as it has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because placing infants on their right side, left side, or prone (on their stomach) respectively are not recommended sleeping positions due to the increased risk of SIDS associated with those positions.
5. The nurse instructs the mother of a child with a ventricular septal defect that she can expect the child to become cyanotic when the child does what?
- A. Experiences an elevation in temperature.
- B. Sleeps on the left side.
- C. Cries vigorously.
- D. Eats.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Cries vigorously. When the child cries vigorously, it increases the pressure in the right ventricle, allowing unoxygenated blood to enter the circulating volume, leading to cyanosis. This occurs due to the shunting of blood from the right side of the heart to the left side through the ventricular septal defect. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not directly impact the pressure in the right ventricle, which is crucial in causing cyanosis in this scenario.
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