The 35-year-old patient presents to the emergency department with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea for the past week. Vital signs are significant for a heart rate of 135 bpm and a blood pressure of 75/40 mmHg. The nurse anticipates which order?

Question Type: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Multiple Choice - Select One
Difficulty: 10

1 liter normal saline intravenously, wide open. The patient, who has suffered from vomiting and diarrhea for one week has hypotension and tachycardia. This patient is likely dehydrated and requires a liter of normal saline intravenously as quickly as possible. Severe hypotension is treated with vasopressors such as norepinephrine or dopamine; however, these are not appropriate initial interventions. Intravenous atropine is used to treat bradycardia; therefore, this is not appropriate for the tachycardic patient.