Final answer:
A patient with a blood pressure of 70/45, confusion, and thirst in the emergency department is likely experiencing hypotension and dehydration, requiring urgent medical treatment to prevent organ damage.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient arriving in the emergency department with a blood pressure of 70/45, confusion, and complaints of thirst could be experiencing a state of hypotension and dehydration. This low blood pressure could be due to a variety of causes, including but not limited to blood loss, severe infection (sepsis), dehydration, or certain medical conditions affecting the heart.
The confusion and thirst are also presenting symptoms indicative of the body's response to the decrease in blood volume and pressure, signaling a potential compromise of perfusion to organs, leading to an urgent need for medical evaluation and likely, rapid intervention to prevent further deterioration.
Complete Question:
The nurse is working on a detox unit caring for patient experiencing addiction. Which of the following patients should the nurse see first? The patient who has a blood pressure of 145/90 and heart rate of 100 has been on the unit for five days and has nausea is at the nurses station reporting a headache is confused and reports seeing bugs crawling on his skin