A 21-year-old woman is admitted to the ED in a coma. She is accompanied by her husband, who states that she had a seizure. The patient is 1 week postpartum. Her vital signs are blood pressure 180/128 mmHg, pulse rate 120 beats/minute, and respiratory rate 12 breaths/minute. The physician diagnoses eclampsia. After the initial management of this patient, the nurse would expect the physician to order which medication?

Which information regarding phenytoin should the nurse include in discharge teaching?

The nurse typically begins to assess level of consciousness by using:

Paramedics bring a middle-aged man who was found unconscious on the street to the ED. No identification orfurther information is available. Vital signs are blood pressure 160/90 mmHg, pulse rate 120 beats/minute, and respiratory rate 16 breaths/minute. Upon arrival, the patient begins experiencing sustained grand mal seizures and requires intubation. The nurse establishes an IV line. Which drug treatment is usually preferred to control status epilepticus?

Which nursing diagnostic category reflects the clinical problems associated with this patient’s seizures?

Which life-threatening situation would the nurse expect to occur if phenytoin is administered by rapid IV bolus?

Which of the following is least likely to precipitate a seizure?

When administering phenytoin intravenously, the nurse must:

What phase of a tonic-clonic, often referred to as gran mal, seizure is a patient having if she is having violent and severe muscle body contractions accompanied by a loss of continence?

A 60-year-old man with a history of seizures is brought to the ED because of recurrent seizure activity. While in the ED, he develops tonic-clonic movements of the right arm and leg. Which postictal manifestation should the nurse anticipate and adjust for in the patient’s plan of care?