Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism

Paramedics bring a 66-year-old woman to the ED. Her blood pressure is 104/58 mmHg, pulse rate 44 beats/minute, respiratory rate 14 breaths/minute, and temperature 92.4o F (33.6oC). No medical history is available, except for the patient’s statement of not feeling well for the past month. Physical examination reveals a lethargic, thin woman with dry skin and periorbital and facial edema. Bilateral pulmonary congestion is noted. EKG monitoring shows sinus bradycardia. The physician diagnoses impending myxedema coma. The patient remains hypothermic, with a temperature of 95o F (35oC). An appropriate nursing intervention would be to:

Which electrolyte imbalance would the nurse expect a patient to have in myxedema coma?

A 65-year-old woman is brought to the ED by ambulance after fainting. Physical examination reveals central-type obesity with a fatty buffalo hump in the neck, hirsutism, thin and fragile extremities with ecchymotic areas, hypertension, and mild congestive heart failure. She informs the nurse that she has experienced extreme weakness and fatigue during the past month and that her sleep patterns have become altered. The nurse realizes that the patient’s signs and symptoms are characteristic of:

A 65-year-old woman is brought to the ED by ambulance after fainting. Physical examination reveals central-type obesity with a fatty buffalo hump in the neck, hirsutism, thin and fragile extremities with ecchymotic areas, hypertension, and mild congestive heart failure. She informs the nurse that she has experienced extreme weakness and fatigue during the past month and that her sleep patterns have become altered. The nurse realizes that the patient’s signs and symptoms are characteristic of:

A 58-year-old man arrives at the ED, diaphoretic and complaining of severe pain in the right side. He informs the nurse that he had been walking his dog when he suddenly felt a horrible pain. Assessment findings reveal that his blood pressure is 160/70 mmHg, pulse 124 beats/minute and regular, temperature 98.6o F (37oC), and respiratory rate 24 breaths/minute. His abdomen, when palpated, reveals tenderness in the right flank. Urinalysis indicates RBCs in the urine. The patient has a history of hypertension and no known allergies. The physician diagnoses renal calculi and requests a consultation with the urologist. The nurse would expect the history of a patient with renal calculi to reveal a previous diagnosis of:

Which patient would not be considered at risk for developing SIADH?

Which medication should the nurse prepare forimmediate administration got a patient with adrenal crisis?

The nurse knows that an increase in antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion may result from:

A 65-year-old woman is brought to the ED by ambulance after fainting. Physical examination reveals central-type obesity with a fatty buffalo hump in the neck, hirsutism, thin and fragile extremities with ecchymotic areas, hypertension, and mild congestive heart failure. She informs the nurse that she has experienced extreme weakness and fatigue during the past month and that her sleep patterns have become altered. The nurse realizes that the patient’s signs and symptoms are characteristic of:

A 55-year-old woman is admitted to the ED with a temperature of 105o F (40.5oC), blood pressure 180/110 mmHg, pulse rate 120 beats/minute, and respiratory rate 36 breaths/minute. She shows signs of dehydration and states that she has been experiencing muscle weakness and bone pain for the past week. She has a history of Grave’s disease. The physician diagnoses thyroid crisis. The patient begins to complain of bone pain and thirst. The nurse notes a decreased level of consciousness and hypotonicity of muscles. Which laboratory findings should be monitored in this situation?