The nurse is assigned to a patient who presents to the emergency department with a severe headache. Upon physical assessment, the patient’s heart rate is 114 bpm, temperature is 38.2[Symbol]C (100.8[Symbol]F), and the blood pressure is 149/93 mmHg. Which of the following questions by the nurse is most important?

“Are you experiencing neck stiffness?”. A patient who presents with severe headache and fever should be assessed for meningitis, which can be deadly as well as contagious. Once the nurse has assessed the patient for meningitis, the nurse can ask about myalgia, arthralgia, nausea, vomiting, and infectious contact, which are of secondary priority.

The nurse is assigned to a patient who presents to the emergency ...

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Reduction of Risk Potential
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Category: Reduction of Risk Potential
Difficulty: 4

Topics: Disease Prevention Neurology

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