The elderly patient is brought to the ER by ambulance for confusion, slurred speech, and right-sided weakness. Vital signs, including body temperature and blood pressure, are normal. As the patient is waiting for an urgent head CT, the nurse performs which test first?

Point-of-Care (POC) glucose. Several things can mimic the symptoms of stroke. A common set of mimic is migraine, seizures, encephalitis, hypotension, intracranial mass, and metabolic disturbance. A POC glucose is a rapid and efficient way to rule out hypo or hyperglycemia, which could be causing these symptoms. A blood culture is also important to rule out sepsis, but is less of a priority in someone who is afebrile. Chest X-ray and ECG are lower priority.

The elderly patient is brought to the ER by ambulance for co...

Category: Management of Care
Difficulty: 9

Topics: Delegation, Prioritization and Leadership Endocrine Neurology Cardiovascular Cognition Health Screening Nursing Interventions

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