Med Surg Adaptive Quizzing with Rationales Already Passed

The nurse is caring for a patient with unstable angina whose cardiac monitor shows ventricular tachycardia. Which action is appropriate to implement first? A. Defibrillate the patient at 200 J. B. Check the patient for a pulse. C. Cardiovert the patient at 50 J. D. Give the patient IV lidocaine - Correct B The nurse needs to assess the patient to determine stability before proceeding with further interventions. If the patient has a pulse and is relatively stable, elective cardioversion or antidysrhythmic medications may be prescribed. The drug of choice for stable ventricular tachycardia with a pulse is amiodarone. If the patient is pulseless or nonresponsive, the patient is unstable and defibrillation is used. A patient is brought into the emergency room with chest pain, shortness of breath, diaphoresis, and hypotension. The heart rate of the patient is 56 beats per minute. What is the immediate nursing intervention provided to stabilize the patient? A. Administering propranolol B. Administering digoxin C. Administering atropine D. Administering verapamil - Correct C