The nurse suspects that a patient has Ludwig’s angina. Which action does the nurse take first?

Assess the patient’s airway. Ludwig’s angina is a type of bacterial infection in the tissues under the tongue. The nurse’s first action should be to ensure patency of the patient’s airway, as swelling from the infection can lead to airway obstruction. Assessing the patient’s perfusion will be important, but assessment of the airway should take precedence. Administration of aspirin and obtaining a 12 lead EKG would be important with cardiac-related angina, but are not necessary with Ludwig’s angina.

The nurse suspects that a patient has Ludwig’s angina. Whic...

Category: Physiological Adaptation
Difficulty: 7

Topics: HEENT Assessment Cardiovascular Infection Inflammation Respiratory

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