Which nursing intervention is most appropriate when caring for a patient experiencing an anaphylactic reaction?
Maintain a patent airway and administer epinephrine
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening type I hypersensitivity reaction that causes airway oedema, bronchospasm and circulatory collapse.
The first priorities are the ABCs: maintain a patent airway (give high-flow oxygen, prepare for intubation if needed) and give intramuscular epinephrine (adrenaline) 1:1000 at once, as it reverses bronchospasm and hypotension.
Oral antihistamines act too slowly to be first-line; a warm compress has no role; the patient is positioned according to need (supine with legs raised if hypotensive, sitting up if breathless), not “supine only”.
Hence, Maintain a patent airway and administer epinephrine.
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Important Questions from Medical-Surgical Nursing
In a patient with a normal temperature and pulse but low blood pressure, which clinical condition should be considered first?
When caring for a patient with hypocalcemia, which symptom should the nurse closely observe?
A patient with a peptic ulcer is prescribed a proton pump inhibitor and advised to avoid NSAIDs. Which rationale best explains this combined approach?
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A nurse encounters four patients after a mass casualty event. Who should be given the highest triage priority?
