Question

A nurse is planning care for a client who is to receive a competitive neuromuscular blocking agent. What should the nurse have at the client's bedside?

Answer 1

A nurse should have a resuscitation bag, suction equipment, an intubation kit, mechanical ventilation equipment, anticholinesterase agents, and atropine at the bedside of a client receiving a competitive neuromuscular blocking agent.

Step-by-step explanation:

A nurse planning care for a client who is to receive a competitive neuromuscular blocking agent should have specific equipment and medications at the client's bedside to ensure proper management and safety. It is crucial to have advanced planning for any possible complications that may arise from the use of these agents. The equipment commonly kept at the bedside includes a resuscitation bag with a mask, suction equipment, and an intubation kit. Moreover, since neuromuscular blocking agents can cause respiratory muscle paralysis, mechanical ventilation equipment should also be readily available. Medications should include anticholinesterase agents, such as neostigmine, which can reverse the effects of neuromuscular blockade, and an anticholinergic drug like atropine to counteract the muscarinic side effects of anticholinesterase agents. Atropine is often highlighted as it is a standard anticholinergic drug used to manage symptoms that arise from overactivity of the parasympathetic nervous system, such as in nerve agent poisoning, which has relevance due to its action as an antagonist to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, similar in function to the management of neuromuscular blocking agents' effects.