The emergency department nurse is assessing the unconscious patient following a fall from the ladder while he was doing home improvement work. Which assessment is performed first?

Pulse oximetry. The assessment of any patient is prioritized using the ABCDE approach (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, and Exposure). The nurse first assesses breathing by assessing the patient’s oxygen saturation via pulse oximetry. Blood pressure is utilized to assess the patient’s circulation. The next assessment is Disability, so the nurse checks the patient’s blood glucose level. Assessing temperature is the last assessment to be performed in this list to assess for exposure.

The emergency department nurse is assessing the unconscious patie...

Category: Management of Care
Difficulty: 4

Topics: Delegation, Prioritization and Leadership Assessment Cardiovascular Cognition Communication & Documentation Disease Prevention Health Screening HEENT Intracranial Regulation Lifestyle Choices and High Risk Behavior Neurology Respiratory

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