Question

A client is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema. The healthcare provider prescribes furosemide 40 mg intravenous (IV) stat to be repeated in 1 hour. What nursing action will best evaluate the effectiveness of the furosemide in managing the client’s condition? 1 Perform daily weights 2 Auscultate breath sounds 3 Monitor intake and output 4 Assess for dependent edem

Answer 1

Answer:

3 Monitor intake and output

Explanation:

This client is admitted for heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, which means that his/her heart is not pumping blood as it should, and that there's liquid in the lungs, causing the client symptoms such as dyspnea (shortness of breath).

IV Furosemide, a loop diuretic is prescribed. This drug increases renal excretion of water and electrolytes out of the body, resulting in the mobilization of excess fluid from the body and a decrease in blood pressure. The indication to give the client a second dose of furosemide in an hour is because of its delayed effect.

Since furosemide causes liquids to exit the body, it is important to monitor fluid balance in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this medication. Monitoring fluid balance refers to observing and registering all liquids that come in (IV, orally) and out (urine) of the body. For the client, being admitted to the hospital and receiving IV medication, the nursing personnel should be registering all the liquids the client is receiving (IV and orally) and voiding (urine).