Question

A patient who is receiving chemotherapy is admitted to the hospital with acute dehydration caused by nausea and vomiting. Which action will the nurse include in the plan of care to best prevent the development of shock, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS)?

a. Administer all medications through the patient's indwelling central line.
b. Place the patient in a private room.
c. Restrict the patient to foods that have been well-cooked or processed.
d. Insert a nasogastric (NG) tube for enteral feeding.

Answer 1

Administering all medications through the patient's indwelling central line is the best care action to prevent severe complications such as shock and MODS in a dehydrated chemotherapy patient.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best action to include in the plan of care to prevent the development of shock, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in a patient admitted to the hospital for acute dehydration caused by nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy is to administer all medications through the patient's indwelling central line. This approach minimizes the risk of infections that could arise from multiple venipunctures and allows for efficient delivery of medications and intravenous fluids needed for rehydration. Ensuring proper central line care and maintenance is crucial to preventing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), which can lead to sepsis and other serious complications.