The patient who experiences frequent episodes of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) that do not cause hemodynamic compromise is being discharged. The nurse is supervising the student nurse providing discharge teaching to the patient. Which method for self-treatment of AVNRT, if taught by the student nurse, would prompt the nurse to intervene immediately?

Firmly massaging over the pulse in the neck. Although the carotid sinus massage is one way to convert the patient out of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT), the nurse intervenes if the student nurse attempts to teach the patient to perform carotid sinus massage at home as this can have complications if not performed correctly. The student nurse appropriately provides education to the patient with AVNRT about vagal maneuvers. These include Valsalva maneuvers: bearing down as if trying to defecate and blowing out with a closed mouth while pinching the nose. Vagal maneuvers also include instigating the mammalian diving reflex by plunging the face into a bowl full of ice water.

The patient who experiences frequent episodes of atrioventricular...

Category: Physiological Adaptation
Difficulty: 7

Topics: Cardiovascular Communication & Documentation Delegation, Prioritization and Leadership Disease Prevention Nursing Interventions Patient Education

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