The nurse is monitoring a pregnant patient who is receiving intravenous magnesium sulfate for eclampsia. During the last assessment, the nurse was unable to elicit a patellar reflex. What should the nurse do?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When infusing magnesium sulfate, the nurse should stop the infusion if deep tendon reflexes are absent. Checking the fetal heart rate and measuring blood pressure could waste time and provide the patient with more magnesium sulfate. The infusion rate should not be increased because this could lead to cardiac dysrhythmias and respiratory depression.

The Nurse Is Monitoring a Pregnant Patient Who Is Receiving