A patient reports to the emergency room nurse that she is 10 weeks pregnant, with unilateral pelvic pain, shoulder pain, and faintness. Her color is pale, she is diaphoretic, and her heart rate is 140 bpm. What is the nurse's priority action?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This patient is presenting with classic signs of an ectopic pregnancy and hypovolemic shock. This is an obstetric emergency. Symptoms include sudden, severe pain in one of the lower quadrants of the abdomen as the tube tears open and the embryo is expelled into the pelvic cavity, often with profuse abdominal hemorrhage. Radiating pain under the scapula may indicate bleeding into the abdomen caused by phrenic nerve irritation. Hypovolemic shock (acute peripheral circulatory failure from loss of circulating blood) is a major concern because systemic signs of shock may be rapid and extensive without external bleeding. The nurse must first start the IV to initiate rapid fluid replacement. Further assessment will result in a delay of care.

A Patient Reports to the Emergency Room Nurse That She