Question

A 70 year old female presents to the ambulatory care clinic complaining of fatigue. You begin you triage assessment and he has a HR of 50, Respiratory rate of 24, and BP 70/40. She denies Chest pain but you notice she rubs her elbows and states her arthritis is acting up. What would be your first priority when caring for this patient

A. Offer her Tylenol and send her to the waiting room
B. offer her Motrin for pain
C. Continue her triage and history and finish the paperwork
D. place her in a room, do an EKG and notify the MD to see her first

Answer 1

The first priority should be to address the patient's immediate and potentially life-threatening concerns by placing her in a room, performing an EKG, and alerting the physician immediately.

Step-by-step explanation:

The first priority when caring for a patient who presents with a heart rate of 50, respiratory rate of 24, and a blood pressure of 70/40, and denies chest pain but is experiencing arthritis discomfort should be to address the potential immediate life-threatening concern. Thus, the correct course of action would be to place her in a room, do an EKG, and notify the MD to see her first. Her vital signs suggest that she may be experiencing a form of shock or heart block, which requires urgent medical attention, and the EKG would help identify any cardiac abnormalities that need to be addressed promptly.