Bleeding for Certified Emergency Nursing (CEN)

The patient’s abdominal X-ray reveals a fusiform infrarenal non-dissecting aortic aneurysm. Which nursing diagnosis would be the highest priority for this patient?

Which diagnostic test would the nurse anticipate for a patient with lower gastrointestinal bleeding?

A 61-year-old man is transferred to the ED by ambulance from his physician’s office with a diagnosis of a possible abdominal aortic aneurysm. When eliciting the patient’s history, the nurse keeps in mind that one of the most common factors predisposing a patient to abdominal aortic aneurysm is:

In assessing the patient’s health status, the nurse should know that hematemesis is most commonly caused by:

A patient is admitted to the ED after a high-speed, head-on automobile accident. He is conscious and alert; his skin is cool and dry. Vital signs are: BP 110/70 mmHg, pulse rate 100 beats/minute, and respirations 24 breaths/minute. The on-scene paramedic reports severe front-end damage to the car and a broken steering wheel. After assessing the patient’s airway, breathing, and circulation, the nurse’s primary concern would be to:

A 38-year-old stockbroker is brought to the ED by a coworker after experiencing an episode of severe weakness after a business luncheon. Although the patient claims to have no medical or surgical history, he admits to taking large amounts of liquid antacids to calm his stomach. He has had several episodes of bloody vomitus within the past 3 to 4 days. The physician diagnoses the patient as having upper GI bleeding. Which nursing intervention would be most helpful in determining the cause of the patient’s bleeding?

Results of a diagnostic peritoneal lavage may be falsely negative in a patient with a:

In a patient with prolonged bleeding, anemia is a potential complication. The nurse assesses for anemia by noting signs of pallor in the patient’s:

Which condition is the most common cause of lower GI bleeding?

The nurse knows that such abdominal emergencies as obstruction, perforation, and acute intractable hemorrhage are typically treated by: