MEDizzy - A client, admitted to the emergency department reporting

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A client, admitted to the emergency department reporting severe, radiating chest pain, is extremely restless, frightened, and dyspneic. Immediate admission prescriptions include oxygen by nasal cannula at 4 L per minute; troponin, creatinine phosphokinase, and isoenzymes blood levels; a chest x-ray; and a 12-lead ECG. Which action should the nurse take first?

ExplanationThe first action would be to apply the oxygen because the client can be experiencing myocardial ischemia. The ECG can provide evidence of cardiac damage and the location of myocardial ischemia. However, oxygen is the priority to prevent further cardiac damage. Drawing the blood specimens would be done after oxygen administration and just before or after the ECG, depending on the situation. Although the chest x-ray can show cardiac enlargement, having the chest x-ray would not influence immediate treatment.