A nurse applies a cooling blanket to a patient with a temperature of 10E.4°F. The nurse would recognize which of the following as an indication of therapeutic effectiveness?
A) The patient begins to shiver.
B) The blood pressure and pulse increase.
C) The temperature slowly falls to 100°F.
D) The level of consciousness decreases.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The desired therapeutic effect of a cooling blanket is to lower the patient's body temperature. Therefore, a slow decrease in body temperature would indicate therapeutic effectiveness. Shivering is a physiological response to feeling cold and is not necessarily an indicator of therapeutic effectiveness. An increase in blood pressure and pulse may occur as compensatory mechanisms in response to the drop in body temperature and is not a direct indicator of therapeutic effectiveness. A decrease in the level of consciousness is not a desired outcome and would indicate a negative response to the cooling blanket.

A Nurse Applies a Cooling Blanket to a Patient with a Temperature