A woman brings her husband to the emergency department and tells the nurse that her husband just had a stroke. The physician verifies a thrombotic cerebral vascular accident (CVA) occurred and wishes to use alteplase (Activase). What priority assessment question will the nurse ask the wife?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse needs to know the time of onset of the stroke to determine if the patient is eligible for alteplase administration, which must occur within 3-4.5 hours of symptom onset. Knowing the other medical illnesses, medications, and hypertension history of the patient is important, but not as urgent in this situation.

A Woman Brings Her Husband to the Emergency Department and Tells