ComplicationsSpotting and correcting life-threatening conditions Air embolism Air embolism is the migration of a bolus of gas from the systemic circulation into the microvasculature. Obstruction occurs when the gas reaches…
Drug hazardsRecognizing and responding to them Adverse or toxic drug reactions Drug reactions and treatments The key to successful treatment of toxic drug reactions is to identify the drug quickly…
Dosage calculationEnsuring effective therapy Calculating drug dosages Reviewing ratios and proportions A ratio is a mathematical expression of the relationship between two things. A proportion is a set of two…
Drug administrationReviewing the methods Administration guidelines Precautions for drug administration Whenever you administer medication, observe these precautions to ensure that you’re giving the right drug in the right dose to…
TroubleshootingSpotting and correcting equipment problems I.V. equipment Peripheral I.V. lines SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS POSSIBLE CAUSES INTERVENTIONS Local complications Phlebitis ♦ Tenderness at the tip of and above the venipuncture device…
Common proceduresPerforming them safely and accurately Arterial pressure monitoring Direct monitoring of arterial pressure permits continuous measurement of systolic, diastolic, and mean pressures and allows sampling of arterial blood. Direct…
PrecautionsPreventing the spread of infection The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed guidelines for isolation precautions in hospitals….
Pressure ulcers and traumatic wound carePreventing, staging, and treating wounds Pressure ulcer care As their name implies, pressure ulcers result when pressure—applied with great force for a short period or…
Pain managementAssessing pain and using medications Differentiating acute and chronic pain Acute pain may cause certain physiologic and behavioral changes that you won’t observe in a patient with chronic pain….
Surgical patient careReviewing the techniques Preoperative care Assessing the preoperative patient A thorough preoperative assessment is the foundation of good surgical care, providing a baseline for comparison throughout a patient’s…
