Your patient is a 38-year-old male who has taken an overdose of several different medications and has consumed some household cleaning agents as well.On your arrival,the patient only responds to painful stimuli,and has a heart rate of 90 beats per minute with a respiratory rate of 12 breaths per minute.Medical control orders you to give the patient two to three glasses of milk to drink to dilute the contents of the stomach.Which of the following actions should you do?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Refusing the order and explaining why is the correct action because the patient is only responsive to painful stimuli, indicating a significantly altered level of consciousness. This increases the risk of aspiration if the patient were to drink any liquid, including milk. Administering oral substances to a patient with a compromised level of consciousness is contraindicated due to the high risk of aspiration, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia or more immediate airway obstruction.

Your Patient Is a 38-Year-Old Male Who Has Taken an Overdose