A patient with a history of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is admitted to the emergency department ( ED ) with severe back pain and absent pedal pulses. Which action should the nurse take first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the patient appears to be experiencing aortic dissection, the nurse's first action should be to determine the hemodynamic status by assessing blood pressure. The other actions also may be done, but they will not provide information that will determine what interventions are needed immediately for this patient.

A Patient with a History of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm