A 22-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding.Her blood pressure is 90/58 mm Hg,her pulse is 120 beats/minute,and she complains of dizziness.Which action by the nurse takes priority?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This patient has both signs (hypotension,tachycardia)and symptoms (complaints of dizziness)of acute volume loss.The nurse should consider a ruptured ectopic pregnancy as a possible problem in this patient and assess her for other manifestations and risk factors.However,the priority is starting large-bore IV lines for fluid resuscitation.The nurse may need to obtain informed consent for an operative procedure once a definitive diagnosis is made.

A 22-Year-Old Woman Presents to the Emergency Department with Abdominal