The 71-year-old patient with a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus is brought to the emergency department 3 hours after exhibiting right-sided facial weakness, drooping of the right eye, and slurring of the words. Appendicular tone is normal and the patient has no issues walking or standing from a sitting position. The nurse prepares the patient for which intervention first? 

Which term is used to describe a platelet level of 100,000/μL

The nurse is taking care of a patient with symptoms concerning for Cushing’s syndrome/disease, namely moon facies, acanthosis nigricans, hair loss, thinning of skin, weight gain, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Initial diagnostic tests found the patient’s Cushing syndrome to be ACTH-dependent. Which of the following diagnostic tests would best differentiate between an ectopic ACTH-producing source versus a pituitary source?