Question

When preparing to measure the vital signs of a patient, you should recognize that which of the following will affect the methods that you will use? (Select all that apply.)

a.The patient had a mastectomy 2 years ago.
b.The patient has been nauseated for 2 days.
c.The patient is taking digoxin (Lanoxin).
d.The patient is 60 pounds overweight.
e.The patient has been fasting for blood tests.
f. The patient is reporting a stuffy nose.

Answer 1

When measuring vital signs, a previous mastectomy, medications like digoxin, and being overweight can affect both the measurement methods and the interpretation of the results.

Step-by-step explanation:

When preparing to measure the vital signs of a patient, it is important to recognize that certain factors will affect the methods that you will use. Specifically:

• The patient had a mastectomy 2 years ago - This is significant because it may influence where you can appropriately place a blood pressure cuff or a pulse oximeter.
• The patient is taking digoxin (Lanoxin) - A medication like digoxin, which affects the heart's function, will have implications for heart rate and rhythm, thereby influencing the assessment and interpretation of heart-related vital signs.
• The patient is 60 pounds overweight - Excess body weight can affect blood pressure readings and may require a larger cuff size for accurate measurement.

Factors such as ongoing nausea, fasting for blood tests, and reporting a stuffy nose generally do not affect the specific methods used for vital signs measurement but can potentially influence the readings.