Editing Reduction of Risk Potential – LPN Practice Questions (section)

==Question 3==
''Select all that apply.'' Which vital sign findings in an adult client should the nurse report to the registered nurse as outside expected parameters?
# Heart rate 48 beats per minute in a client receiving metoprolol
# Respiratory rate 9 breaths per minute in a client receiving morphine
# Temperature 36.8 degrees Celsius (98.2 degrees Fahrenheit)
# Oxygen saturation 88 percent on room air
# Blood pressure 118/76 mm Hg

'''Answer:''' Options 1, 2, and 4.

''Rationale:'' An adult heart rate below 60 beats per minute in a client on a beta blocker signals excessive rate control and requires reporting before the next dose. A respiratory rate below 12 in a client receiving an opioid signals respiratory depression and is urgent. An oxygen saturation of 88 percent is significant hypoxemia. Options 3 and 5 fall within normal ranges and require documentation only.