Question

A 72-year-old female patient presents to the Emergency Department reporting substernal chest pain that she describes as 'ripping'; it radiates into her back and is associated with cough and shortness of breath. Her blood pressure is 150/90 and her heart rate is 110. The emergency nurse anticipates administering___________.

Answer 1

The emergency nurse would anticipate administering medications such as beta-blockers, among others, to a patient with aortic dissection.

Step-by-step explanation:

The symptoms described by the patient, such as substernal chest pain radiating into her back, cough, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, and increased heart rate, are consistent with an aortic dissection.

Therefore, the emergency nurse would anticipate administering medications such as beta-blockers, which help lower blood pressure and heart rate to prevent further complications in a patient with an aortic dissection.

Other medications that may be administered include pain relievers, antihypertensives, and anti-anxiety medications.