Week 7 Medication Management- Subcutaneous routes & VTE Prophylaxis

Question 1

What are 2 respiratory system complications?

Answer 1

Atelectasis
- A collapsed lung
- Assessment data: dyspnoea, cough, fever,
tachypnoea, low oxygen sat

Chest infections & Hypostatic pneumonia
- Pooled secretions which result in inflamed lung(s)
- Assessment data – fever, chills, dry or productive cough, pleural pain, dyspnoea,

Question 2

What are respiratory system nursing interventions?

Answer 2

• Ambulate
• Upright position
• Reposition
• Expand / clear airways
• Hydration
• Promote
  movement of
  secretions

Question 3

Cardiovascular system complications?

Answer 3

• Increased cardiac workload – elevated pulse
• Orthostatic hypotension
• Falls risk

Question 4

What is Venous thromboembolism?

Answer 4

o Blocking of a blood vessel by a blood clot.
o Includes deep vein thrombosis & pulmonary embolism.

Question 5

What is DVT and PE

Answer 5

Deep vein thrombosis: blood clot that forms in deep vein of leg or pelvis either partially or totally blocking flow of blood

Pulmonary embolism: Caused when DVT or a part of it breaks off from vein, then travels through bloodstream to heart and then to long, clot then blocks vessel in lung interrupting blood supply

Question 6

Signs and symptoms of DVT and PE

Answer 6

DVT= can be symptomatic or asymptomatic (pain, swelling, redness)

PE= chest pain,
dyspnoea, low oxygen saturation, haemoptysis, anxiety.

Question 7

What are mechanical prophylaxis and what are some devices?

Answer 7

Devices that increase
blood flow velocity in leg veins, reducing venous stasis.

• Graduated compression stockings (GCS)
• Anti-embolic stocking
• Intermittent Pneumatic (IPC)
• Foot Impulse Device (FID)

Question 8

What are some causes of needle stick injuries

Answer 8

• Administration of injections
• Opening/recapping needle kits
• Surgical procedures
• Disposing of needles and sharps

Question 9

Discuss sharps Safety

Answer 9

• Sharps injuries are most efficient method of
  transmitting blood borne pathogens from patients to health care workers

Most common pathogen:
* Hepatitis B virus
* Hepatitis C virus
* HIV

Question 10

Reporting and prevention of needle injury

Answer 10

• Clean & contaminated sharps injuries
  must be reported for safety of everyone
• Reporting of all sharps injuries makes contribution to risk
  management process and process
  involved in purchasing decisions

Prevention:
 Perform procedure slow + carefully
 Minimise handling of sharp instruments
 Sharp instruments must not be passed from hand to hand
 Needles must not be re-capped, except in special circumstances, then use
a single handed technique
 Needles must not be removed from disposable syringes for disposal